Castalia's Chronicle
by Calliope of Muses
Summary: The fleece has been stolen from Camp Half-Blood! Percy, Annabeth, and Cassy, the new girl, find out what it takes to get it back in this tale of love, heartbreak, and the bond between siblings...Percabeth and some Cassy x Nico.
1. Chapter 1: Attack of the Spiders

**Chapter 1: Attack of the Spiders  
**

Suppressing a yell of shock and terror, I swiftly darted back behind a large oak.

Amid the safety of the thickly grown trees, I let out a shaky breath, closing my eyes in an attempt to calm myself. At least two and a half feet tall in height, and probably three feet wide, they edged closer in a deep, dark mass. In my hands I clutched a long, sharp kitchen blade, but my grip was so tight that my fingernails began to dig into my palm. I hate spiders.

If I was lucky, this enormous gathering of outsized arachnids would take no notice of me and pass by. I would have to find a way out of these woods in another direction.

Straining to see how far they were from where I stood, I tripped over a root at the base of the tree. A huddle of the angry beasts broke away from the throng and scuttled over to find the source of the noise. I leapt up and backed further into the dark woods. Looking around frantically, I spotted a large tree branch on the forest floor and picked it up.

With my heart beating so fast I could scarcely inhale, I swung the branch, sending the nearest spider flying in the opposite direction, where it slammed into a tree trunk. I had no time to wait for it to recover, for behind me another gave a loud screech. The sound made my stomach turn.

I turned and blindly swung the tree branch at the cluster of spiders. I felt the branch collide with the largest, which gave an earsplitting shriek, and rolled aside. I swung again, but this time, as the branch smacked against the nearest spider, it split in two. I dropped it and began slicing at the advancing spiders. A handful of them screeched and fell, but the rest pressed on, one of them spitting a disgusting acid like substance. I plunged my knife into its sickening, bulging abdomen. It screeched again, and rolled aside, taking my knife with it.

Even worse, my skin began to sting like acid where the blood had oozed onto my hand. I spun about only to feel the piercing fangs the closest beast sunk into my left ankle. I crumpled. It made an effort to climb up towards my face, but I elbowed it in the face and it rolled away. I aimed a kick at the nearest one, and with a huge effort I managed to pull myself upward with the tree branches.

At this point, I was fighting the whole mob of hairy, eight-legged monsters without a weapon. I felt myself being knocked back to the ground. I closed my eyes. At any moment I expected to feel sharp fangs at my throat, instead I heard again a gut-wrenching screech, and the sound of footsteps.

I looked up as a dark figure jumped over my head, straight into the center of the screeching horde. I felt the throbbing pain in my left ankle that traveled halfway up my leg. I cried out, bent over in agony, and opened my eyes to see another pair of feet making their way towards me. Rough hands hoisted me up into a sitting position. My vision was slightly blurred from tears, but I made out the form of a young man looking at me with concern.

"Here, let me help you." He pulled me into a standing position, and I leaned heavily on his shoulder. I heard a cry, and lifted my head to see three or four dark outlines hacking and slicing at the pack of fanged beasts.

I opened my mouth to shout I-don't-know-what, but before I could do so, the young man beside me yelped as a dark oozy substance hit him straight in the face. I hit the ground first, but when he did, scratching and scraping at his face in an attempt to pull off the strong, sticky mass, he landed hard on my injured leg. I let out a loud scream that was lost in the cries of the spiders and my rescuers.

Even with all that I'd been through in my life, I rarely screamed. However, the days when I was fearless had long passed, and at this moment, when my life had seemed almost at its end, I could hardly stifle a cry of terror as they advanced.

I winced and squeezed out from underneath him, painfully dragging myself away from the terrible scene with my hands, one being still red and throbbing from the spider's poison. My last glance was of the spiders closing in on me fast, before the glint of a heavy blade sliced through both. Then I fainted away.


	2. Chapter 2: Waking up in Camp HalfBlood

**Chapter 2: Waking Up in Camp Half-Blood  
**

I wavered between consciousnesses for a long stretch of time. I remember a huddle of concerned faces, the sound of anxious voices, strong arms carrying me to who-knows-where, and the smell of strawberries…

When I awoke fully, I nearly jumped, knocking over a glass by my bedside. Across the room, sitting in the corner watching me was a tall man with at least a dozen eyes all over his face and hands. I tried not to shout in my surprise, mostly because I couldn't find any words to say.

"Don't hurt yourself, kid." He said, sighing.

"What—what are you?" I stuttered, sitting up straight.

Before he could reply, a tall girl with curly blonde hair strode in serenely.

"I've been hoping you'd come around soon. I'm Annabeth." She held out her hand with a smile. She had startlingly grey eyes.

"Cassy." I mumbled, shaking her hand.

"I can take it from here, Argus." She said, as the man got up and left. She surveyed me thoughtfully and sat down.

"That was quite the fight you put up out there. I've never seen anyone try to take on a spitting recluse all on their own. Let alone a whole army." She said, impressed.

"Well…I was losing. That's not altogether impressive." I said wistfully, repositioning the glass on the bedside table so that it didn't fall off the edge.

She looked poised and very intelligent, and laughed politely. "Well you're either extremely lucky or extremely talented to have walked away with only one bite."

"I wouldn't say it was luck, as I was unfortunate enough to stumble across their path in the first place." She laughed again, and looked at me with a strange expression.

"You seem like my kind of girl. Clever and a decent fighter. More than decent, I daresay, seeing as you've never been formally trained." she said seriously, more to herself than to me.

"I'm not looking to sign up for any kind of army, if that's where you're going with this. I'll only bring you misfortune, I assure you."

"Oh no, I'm not recruiting you for anything. I'm afraid I've actually got some big news for you," she said, her smile fading.

I leaned back against the bed post and exhaled, "Well?"

"Cassy, as I'm certain you've already discovered, you're different from other people. Special." I couldn't help but let out a short laugh. Annabeth ignored this and went on, "You may be wondering why you're different, and why you face challenges that the rest of the world need not be bothered by. It's because you're demigod." My breathing slowed. I wondered for a moment if I had heard her correctly. _Demigod?_

"If you're familiar with the myths about Greek gods, well, they're not myths at all. The gods and goddesses still live today and rule over humanity, but only in secret. This camp is for demigods, who we refer to as half-bloods, because it's not safe in the real world." My first impression of Annabeth had been that she was an extremely intelligent and well-mannered girl, but I was beginning to doubt her sanity.

"The people who live here are like you. Monsters follow them everywhere they go because of their scent. If you stay with us, we can protect you here and teach you how to fight, so that when you're on your own, and the monsters come after you—trust me they _will _come after you—you'll be prepared."

I sat there, dumstruck, no longer concerned for her sanity but for mine, because I could almost feel half of me saying, _Yeah…that makes more sense._

"Do you—eh, understand?" she looked at me anxiously.

I said something only a little more intelligent than, "Yeah..."

As I sat in silence, letting my thoughts whirl around in my head, she looked at me with concern.

"Well then…um…now we've gotten through that…"

"How come nobody ever told me this before? Not that I believe it, but why…" I struggled to find a sentence that could sum up all my confusion, but to no avail.

"Well, I suppose your mortal mother or father might not have wanted you to know until the right time. And occasionally they don't even know themselves." She seemed to think for a minute. "Which is your mortal parent, your mother or father?"

"I don't know. I've never met my parents." I said dryly, and her smile vanished.

"Well…that only makes it harder for us to narrow down your god-parent, I suppose. Once you're claimed I'm sure you'll know everything you need to—"

"Who is your parent?"

She seemed taken aback, but recovered quickly. "I'm a daughter of Athena. Goddess of wisdom—"

"—and battle" I finished. She beamed.

"Battle _strategy_, but yes, very good. You know your stuff."

I smiled wryly.

"I guess we can skip the orientation film. You're sort of a special case. Most half-bloods are found and claimed by their thirteenth birthday. We need to go see Chiron."

I choked. "Ch-chiron? The centaur?"

She smiled. "You may be the first person to ever know who I'm talking about."

"But…he's still alive?"

"He has been granted eternal youth so that he can continue to teach young heroes from generation to generation. He'll definitely be teaching at least one of your classes this summer."

I gulped. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could handle.

"Well I'll need to tell Chiron you're awake now. Erin, here, can get you some clothes to wear." She pointed at a shy-looking girl with pointed ears and wispy auburn hair. She loped gracefully over like a ballerina, her little form so petite and fragile. She handed me a stack of neat clothes and pointed me to a room where I could change.

Annabeth returned as soon as I had done so, and took me on a brief tour of the camp, answering all of my unspoken questions and explaining things like the Mist, the Olympian council—which is above the Empire States Building—and half-blood training.

She showed me the strawberry fields on the western side of camp and the arena where a bunch of rough, mean looking kids glared at me and then began to fight each other with swords and spears. By the cabins I saw canoes gliding across a small lake, by which some kids were shooting targets at an archery range, and others riding horses down the trail. I couldn't help staring, because the horses they rode on had wings. I must have looked like a fool, my mouth gaping wide, shocked at everything I saw.

Every place I went, people would point and whisper, which was a little unnerving. We continued walking until we reached a farmhouse porch. Still attempting to take it all in, I leaned against a post, while she stopped and knocked on the door.

"Chiron? I have the girl we talked about." Something about the way she said that made me uneasy. I didn't have time to wonder what she meant, however, because a great white stallion with a man's torso and head walked down the porch to greet me.

I felt my jaw drop. I shook my head and blinked a few times before I was able to speak.

"Hello, child. I am Chiron, trainer of heroes."

"I…yeah…I've heard of you." I spluttered.

The great centaur looked at me with kind eyes.

"You must have been very brave to face those spiders alone."

"I didn't have much of a choice, but...um…thanks." I winced, imagining how stupid that must have sounded.

Chiron merely chuckled. "You are very modest, but unmistakably brave." He smiled, "Now I'm afraid you're a rather unsettling case, child. Annabeth tells me you haven't the slightest idea who your godly parent is."

"Not a clue." I said sheepishly. Before he could respond, a half man, half goat came running up behind him. I couldn't help but be taken aback by the sight.

"Hey, you're alright! That's great!" He said, with a toothy grin "I'm Finch, by the way." He held out his hand, but I just stared at him blankly.

"This," Chiron pointed at the young man, "Is the satyr who sniffed you out, and with the help of Annabeth here, and Percy, and he brought you safely to Camp Half-Blood."

I smiled uneasily and thanked him, before quickly saying, "_Sniffed_ me out?"

"Oh yeah. I could smell you from miles away. You're scent is _strong._" The satyr said smiling eagerly, but his smile faltered when he saw the confused look on my face.

"Scent?" I repeated, eyebrows raised in confusion.

Annabeth spoke up. "All half-bloods have a scent that attracts monsters. Yours was particularly strong, apparently," she shot a steely look at Finch, "and we came to help."

Chiron nodded absently. "Yes, yes… but how have you survived so many years with a scent so strong, child?" They all looked at me expectantly.

"I…I don't exactly know..." I stammered, struggling to think of what they wanted me to say. It wasn't easy getting through life being chased by monsters, but I managed to fight them off. I stood there, awkwardly mumbling my life story as the others stared perplexedly, until a tall, dark-haired boy ran up and asked,

" What's going on?" Annabeth's face lit up. She grabbed his hand in hers and kissed his cheek lightly.

"Hey, Perce. We were just trying to determine her god-parent," she nodded in my direction, "She's got to be at least sixteen or so, and nobody's found her until now."

He looked straight at me. "You haven't been claimed?" He seemed almost angry.

"No?" I felt a little offended. It's not _my_ fault, is it?

He clenched his jaw and turned to Chiron. "They made a promise. All children would be claimed by thirteen."

Chiron nodded pensively. "Yes, this is somewhat troubling."

Annabeth leaned towards me, "This is my boyfriend," she seemed really pleased to use the word, "His name is Percy. He came with me and Finch to rescue you."

I gave her a quick nod, but I was still staring at Percy, who seemed to be fuming.

"We haven't had this problem since before the war with Kronos. What should we do?" I could feel his stare boring into me, but I avoided meeting eyes with him.

"For now, we should put Cassy in the Hermes cabin. That was our old tradition, was it not?" Annabeth was protesting, but Chiron looked at her sternly.

"But Chiron, nobody else has to stay in the Hermes cabin anymore, and its mostly _boys_ who like to pull nasty pranks. She can stay in Cabin Six, with me," But before he could object, "Chiron, she's a great fighter and she's obviously very bright. Aren't those the traits of a daughter of Athena?"

"There's no way we can know for sure if—" He began, but Annabeth interrupted.

"Even if she is not a child of Athena, I'd be honored to have her stay in my cabin. Chiron, would you really cram her into the Hermes Cabin after all she's been through?" Annabeth sure had a way with words.

The great centaur sighed and consented. Annabeth kissed Percy on the cheek again and led me to her cabin. I looked over my shoulder only to meet Percy's gaze again. He had green eyes, like the sea.

Finch got my rucksack from the infirmary and brought it to the cabin. I didn't have much in it, though. Just some basic supplies like food and a pocket knife. Annabeth held a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt up to me, and I look at it uncertainly.

"Aw, come on." She said, smiling at my expression, "We all have to wear one." I eyed it apprehensively and Annabeth gave up the attempt.

When we left the cabin, she introduced me to the camp director, Mr. D, and it wasn't the best experience in the world. He was almost polite—I said _almost_—but I could tell that since I wasn't his kid, he couldn't care less about me.

But when dinner time came I had nowhere to sit. I'd found out the hard way that sitting at just any table was taboo, specifically if it wasn't the table of your god-parent. When I walked into the clearing, I found everyone staring shamelessly at me, so I hastily sat down at a random table, unfortunately the one with all the mean-looking kids—Ares' children—who threatened to tear me to shreds. Annabeth and Percy rushed over to help me out, but I just excused myself, blushing furiously, and ran out to the middle of the commons area.

I sat down by the fire, defeated. As I stared at the flames, a few tears of frustration trickled down my cheek. _What are you doing here?_ I kept thinking to myself, _You don't belong. Why don't you just leave?_

I stood up, fists clenched, and looked around. It was then I noticed the other girl sitting by the fire. She looked really young, and was dressed as though she just stepped out of _Little House on the Prairie._

"Hi." Displaying for the millionth time that day, my lack of articulate skill.

"Hello, child." I was a little taken aback by the fact that a thirteen year old was referring to me as 'child'.

I sat back down again and picked at my brisket bitterly. The girl silently surveyed me.

"Are you going to make a burnt offering?" She seemed more sympathetic than skeptical.

"Do we do that here?" I looked around but there was nobody but the two of us.

"Yes, my dear. You scrape a portion of your food into the fire and say a prayer. It's very simple. The gods enjoy the smell." She smiled encouragingly.

I scraped a large slice of brisket into the flames, realizing I hadn't thought of what to say. Silently, I thought, _If I really do belong here, can you please let me know who I am?_

I closed my eyes, and the smell that came from the flames was not one of smoke, but of a whole world of pleasant things that mixed together to create one splendid aroma.

When I opened them, I saw the girl smiling at me knowingly, and I stared at my meal, not all that hungry anymore.

"That was a very sincere offering, Cassy."

"How did you know my name?" I asked suspiciously, putting my fork down.

"I know very much, child. And as tender of the flames, I get a share of every sacrifice."

"Oh." _Tender of the flames_. I suddenly felt like I should be bowing.

"Do you know who I am?"

I nodded. "You're Hestia, I think."

She nodded sagely, her smile widening. "Very few people ever notice me, and seldom can they tell who I am. You're a very sweet girl who has been through a lot of pain. I would like to help grant your wish."

I inhaled sharply. "You mean you know who my parents are?"

"Why should I not? Your father is my brother." She looked at me as if she knew I understood.

"You don't mean…"

"My dear child, your father is Poseidon."


	3. Chapter 3: Getting to Know Percy

**Chapter 3: Getting to Know Percy**

Word traveled around the camp like wildfire. By the time all the campers had left dinner, everyone knew that another child of the Big Three had entered Camp Half-Blood.

The Big Three were Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. They had sworn on the river Styx to never again sire demigod children, because they were too powerful. Because of this oath, the lives of the children that went against this promise proved to be ones of great suffering. _Perfect_.

After enduring awestruck, curious, and even hateful looks from people all that night, and hearing Finch chatter endlessly about how my parentage would have made my scent extremely strong, and laugh about my obscenely low chances of survival, I was ready to throw myself in the lake. So I did.

When it was time for the sing-a-long and bonfire, I dove into the water to escape the stares. I sat at the bottom of the lake for an hour or two that night, discovering as soon as I had jumped in that I could breathe underwater, which was not as shocking as it should have been. At this moment, nothing was too far-fetched to be believable.

As a kid, I was not the kind to believe that Santa Claus or fairy godmothers existed. When you grow up in an orphanage, you learn hard and fast that nobody really cares about you enough to give you things for free.

It was hard to trust people, and it got even harder when I couldn't trust myself. Monsters followed me everywhere I went and put anyone around me in danger. Here at this camp, I was safe, I was with people who were like me, and I finally knew the reason why all these things had happened to me. I even knew who my parents were. But every time questions were answered, more questions would trouble me.

Why did this happen to me? How do I know it isn't all a dream? Do the gods know what I'm thinking? Do they even care?

My thoughts were interrupted as the surface of the water above me broke, and a figure dove deep into the water and sat beside me at the bottom of the lake.

"I had a feeling I'd find you down here." The boy said, his words oddly crisp and discernable for someone speaking underwater. It wasn't hard to make his features out through the water, which was clear and bathed in moonlight. I recognized the dark hair and piercingly green eyes. He wore an amused expression that slightly bothered me.

"Why aren't you drowning?" I asked, standing up. I hadn't meant for it to sound so hostile, but I was slightly amazed at how clearly I could speak.

He only laughed. "Don't get too upset, but I can breathe underwater too."

"Why is that?" I said carefully, trying not to sound rude.

"Didn't you know? I'm your half brother." He smiled uneasily.

"Half….brother…?"

"Well, no need to get all excited." He said, sitting down. He seemed to be watching for my reaction. After a long silence, he motioned for me to sit beside him, and I did so.

"Look, Cassy, I know exactly how it feels to be the subject of all the pointing and staring." I struggled not to roll my eyes, and didn't meet his gaze.

"The people here aren't bad people. Rude, inconsiderate, and silly—yes. But not mean. You just sort of have to get used to all the attention, and soon enough they'll get bored and annoy someone else." I laughed without realizing I was doing so and quickly quieted.

"You'd be surprised how quickly I started to like this place. It's…my home." He looked around the lake fondly. "And I know you'll make friends here, and memories too. It'll happen, I promise."

I stared intently at rock near my feet. "That's really nice of you, Percy, but I doubt it. I've never stayed at any place very long."

"Let me guess. Were you kicked out of schools almost every year? Diagnosed with dyslexia?" I shifted uncomfortably "ADHD? That's the typical childhood of every half-blood you'll meet here." I finally met his gaze.

"Are you telling the truth?" I asked. He nodded reassuringly.

After a long pause, he asked, "So….Cassy. What's that name short for?"

"Castalia." He continued to look puzzled so I continued, "Some nymph named Castalia wanted to escape Apollo, so she turned herself into a fountain. Because that's the logical way to go." He laughed.

"It is kind of funny how these nymphs are so dead-set on getting away from Apollo, they'd turn themselves into trees and fountains."

"Apollo must be pretty scary when he's in love."

"Aren't we all?" He looked at me, smiling. After a pause he added, "How is it you know so much about mythology?"

"When I was little, I didn't get bedtime stories like Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty… I would read the Greek Myths to the other kids out of a great, dusty old book we found in the attic. Of course, I had to make them simpler for the younger orphans that I…" But my voice trailed off. Percy's expression changed when I had said the word 'orphans' and I suddenly felt embarrassed. He looked as though he pitied me.

"Anyways. The myths sort of…stuck with me." I said, not daring to look him in the eyes.

He seemed to sense my embarrassment and quickly added, "Well Annabeth would appreciate you knowing all the stuff. She's always explaining to me which gods are in charge of what."

"Annabeth and you…" I said awkwardly.

"Oh yeah" he chuckled, "Annabeth's my girlfriend. We've been dating for about two months now. We've been through a lot together, what with the Titan war, and everything. It's a crazy story."

"Wait…Titan War? I've got to hear about this."

So we sat there at the bottom of the lake for hours, as he told me countless incredible stories about the Titan Kronos' war against the gods, and the part Percy and his friends had played in it. I was so amazed by what I heard. I couldn't believe how real this all was.

"You _turned down_ becoming a _god_!" I sat bolt upright, looking at him with disbelief.

"I didn't want to be one of them. You know from all the myths how corrupt they are. Nothing matters much to them, life isn't precious to them, _people_ aren't precious to them. They can live forever, but how do they choose to live?"

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." I said, and then we both broke out in laughter.

"I mean that was brilliant what you said there. I don't want to live forever either." I looked at him, smiling, but I could feel how much I meant the words once they were said. He continued to smile wordlessly at me, clearly smug. I shook my head, laughing.

"This is all so…crazy! I mean, a girl could meet Medusa on the side of a road, or walk right by Echidna, taking her demon dog/Chimera for a walk, and the whole time she'd have no idea she just walked past an ancient Greek monster that's thirsty for her blood."

"It takes some time to get used to, I guess, but for me, I don't understand how I couldn't see it all along, you know?"

"Yeah. It takes someone really thick to not notice his math teacher is a Fury."

"Ha. Ha." He said rolling his eyes.

"Then again, maybe all math teachers are ancient, Underworld she-devils." He laughed and looked up at the sky. I couldn't tell what time it was, but now I could see the stars over the calm surface of the water.

"See that constellation?" He pointed up at the sky. I squinted and just barely made out what seemed like the outline of a huntress.

"That's Zoe Nightshade." I gasped and faced him.

"Really?" He smiled sadly and nodded.

"In a way, she's immortal. Her actual soul may be in Elysium, but she'll always be with us." His eyes were distant. "And years, maybe centuries from now, she'll be a part of myth. That's true immortality, in my opinion."

My breathing slowed as his words washed over me.

A horn sounded in the distance.

"What time is it?" I said.

"Late. We should go." I glanced over to see him looking at his watch.

"That thing works underneath the water?" I stared at the tiny device, still fully operating.

He looked up at me. "Is anything you're wearing wet?" I looked down and noticed I was completely dry.

"..No. No, nothing's wet." I stood up a surveyed my clothing. "This is bizarre!"

"Isn't it cool being a child of Poseidon?" He said, and we kicked off from the bottom of the lake, and broke the surface. We swam to the pier and he helped me up from the water. We both slipped and slided our way to the edge of the pier, which was soaked even though our clothes weren't, and when we reached the end, laughing and holding each other up, we could see Annabeth running towards us.

I quickly let go of his arms, but she still eyed us suspiciously.

"_That's_ where you two have been?" She said, eyebrow's raised. I raised my own.

"Everyone was wondering where you guys went. You can't just run off like that."

"I just had to make sure she was okay." Percy shrugged, looking at me. After a long pause, I took a few tentative steps up the trail.

"It's late." I said, clasping my hands together awkwardly. "Where do I sleep?" If Annabeth raised her eyebrows any further, they'd disappear.

"The Poseidon Cabin. I do believe that that is the tradition. At last we know where to put you, child." Chiron had trotted up to see us.

"Are there any other children of Poseidon?" I hesitated, sneaking a glance at Annabeth, but she looking fixedly in another direction.

"Many, but here at camp there is only you two." Chiron looked around, "And it's nearly eleven, so you might want to get going. Lights must be out, or else."

"Or else what?" I asked, but Percy was already showing me the way back to the cabins, leaving Annabeth fuming by the pier.

When we reached the cabins, I froze. Each god had their own cabin at Camp Half-Blood where their kids slept. They used to have only twelve, but now there was a thirteenth, Hades Cabin. Each was decorated by its inhabitants, and the result was breathtaking.

"Here," he pointed to a long, solid cabin, with the windows facing the sea. The outer walls are rough gray stone with pieces of seashell and coral that made it look like the bottom of the ocean floor. "The magnificent Cabin #3!"

Inside there were six empty beds, and the walls glowed like abalone. There was a fountain in the corner covered in coral with a sea stone fish spouting water in a mist, almost. At the bottom were strange gold coins. Along the ceiling there were a few bronze figures that looked like horses with fish's tails. If I had spent a year designing a room to fit my personality perfectly, I would never come this close. I sat down and just looked at the ceiling.

"Our—eh—our other half-brother made all those." Percy said, sitting down next to me.

"Is he too old for camp?" I said, taking off my shoes. I tried to remember the name of those tiny horse-fishes. Hippo-something.

"Not exactly…he's a Cyclops." I nearly choked.

"C—Cyclops?"

"Yeah. I was just as surprised when I found out. He's only a baby Cyclops, and he's actually a cool guy." I nodded, still a little intimidated by the thought. Percy laughed, and I shot him a dark look.

"I'm sorry. I can't help but laugh at your reactions. It reminds me of when I was new here." I tried to hide a smirk as I crawled under the covers.

Somewhere outside, a gravelly voice yelled, "Five minutes til' lights out!"

"So tell me more about the Labyrinth." I said as he switched off the light.


	4. Chapter 4: First Day

**Chapter 4: First Day  
**

The next day was both thrilling and painful. Breakfast was a much more pleasant experience than dinner had been the night before. I sat at the right table this time, and Percy volunteered to guide me through all of the other important activities for the rest of the day. After breakfast our cabin was inspected. Katie Gardner, counselor of the Demeter cabin, led the inspection. Unlike the other campers who pointed, stared, and whispered, she greeted me warmly and struck up a conversation before moving on to the next cabin.

The first activity of the day was sword and shield training with the Ares kids. Their entire cabin had been waiting in the arena. A big, muscular girl in a camouflage jacket named Clarisse was the instructor. I thought we would start with basic stabbing or slashing, but Clarisse seemed to want revenge for me sitting at her table the night before.

"Class, we are going to start a little differently today. _You_," She pointed at me with a twisted smile, "Pick a sword and charge at me."

"You haven't taught her anything yet!" Percy said, outraged.

"The best way to learn is the hard way. Get a sword!"

A sympathetic Apollo kid handed me his sword, but it was really heavy. The Ares kids snickered as I struggled with it.

"Go ahead and take your time." Clarisse teased impatiently. When I walked over with my sword raised, she narrowed her eyes. "Now charge."

She hacked at me with surprising speed for such a big girl. She demonstrated a variety of thrusts and parries, using me instead of a straw dummy, and announced each to the laughing audience as she did so. If I hadn't been wearing some intense armor, I'd probably have been minced.

I enjoyed the next class remarkably better. Chiron was there to teach us archery lessons. It felt so natural. Six out of ten of my arrows went straight to the center of the target, and my flaming arrows were the only ones (aside from the Apollo kids) that didn't hit the ground and start a mini-fire.

Next were the pegasi. The beautiful, winged horses were undoubtedly the best part of my day. Percy and I could hear the horses' thoughts and communicate with them better than anyone else, and flying on them came as easily and naturally as walking on the ground.

Then we had a picnic for lunch out in a grassy clearing, just Percy, myself, and a few Apollo kids who I'd met at the archery class and they eagerly listened to Percy and me tell the story of how I was rescued. Next, we practiced aerial combat, which was the most exhilarating and fascinating thing I had ever done. Annabeth joined us for a class later in the afternoon where we heard a slow lecture on species of monsters, and how best to fight them. Well, _they_ heard it, _I_ slept. It was the first time I'd sat down to a lecture in a very long time, and once it was over, we all went and sat under the shade of a tree and talked for about an hour.

The rest of the afternoon free time I spent wandering around and exploring the camp. Annabeth and Percy left for their free time together, so when the horn sounded, I made my way to arts and crafts alone. I was beyond terrible at it. I'd never been much of an artist, and I certainly wasn't a craftsman. I tried first to make something simple, like a knife. But it wasn't as simple as it seemed. The Hephaestus guys were extremely patient, though, and ended up fussing with my failed creation so much that I could no longer claim that I had made it. Nevertheless, they etched my name into the silver blade and put it in the armory for me.

With the day's classes over, I enjoyed sitting by the beach for an hour, swimming, throwing a discus, and playing some volleyball with the satyrs and the Apollo kids.

When I met up with Percy at dinnertime, we were both exhausted. Half-way through the dinner hour, Mr. D (they call him Mr. D to avoid throwing the name 'Dionysus' around unnecessarily) announced capture the flag would be on Friday. The red team consisted of the Ares Cabin, Apollo Cabin, and Poseidon. The blue team was Athena, Hephaestus, Hermes, Aphrodite, Demeter, Dionysus, and Hades.

I finished my dinner and went back to the cabin to change out of my sweaty clothes, and slowly walked back towards the bonfire.

I looked around, but I couldn't find Percy, so I went and sat down next to a sullen-looking girl with long, flowing, black hair and pale white skin.

"Hi. I'm Cassy." I said uncertainly.

She looked me up and down as if I were exactly the type of girl she tried to avoid.

"Clio." She said, almost with distaste, and she turned and glared at the fire.

"Are you new here?" I was feeling a little doubtful and hesitant speaking with her, because she seemed to emit a slightly depressing aura.

"Two weeks." She answered, still staring at the fire. She looked about fourteen or fifteen.

"Well…do you like it here?"

She turned to look at me. "It's better than my alternative."

"What's your—"

But right then someone seemed to materialize out of the shadows next to me. I jumped.

"Sorry if I frightened you," said a similarly sullen looking boy, who seemed about thirteen.

"No, it's cool. I'm just still getting used to all this…stuff." I said shakily.

He nodded.

I waited for him to say something, but he didn't oblige.

"So…you're Nico." I said, remembering Annabeth pointing him out. "Son of Hades."

"I am." As he said this, Clio looked up as if she were bored.

"Cassy." I said, shaking his hand. He smiled. He had remarkably white teeth.

"Yeah, I know. You're the latest topic in camp gossip." He looked amused.

I laughed bitterly, "It's funny how I don't really have to bother telling people my name anymore."

"Not really." Clio said coolly.

I struggled not to retort.

"You like it here, though? Aside from all that."

"I don't know yet." I shrugged, "Percy said it takes time, but I can't help feeling so divided from everyone here. Even though this is the most I've ever belonged, I still feel like I belong to a different world."

Nico stared at me, transfixed. It was hard to read his expression. "I felt the same way. In fact, I still feel that way. Being a child of Hades has its downsides." Clio didn't turn to look at us, but she blinked, and narrowed her eyes. I could tell she was listening intently now.

"What do you mean?" I said, studying Clio's expressionless face.

"People find it hard to be around us. Don't you feel just a tiny bit intimidated when you're in our presence? We're cursed with an unnerving atmosphere, which affects anyone near us." He fixed me with his jet black eyes. They were so full of sadness, I couldn't bring myself to say 'yes'. I smiled at him.

"I hadn't really noticed."

"Its funny how people lie to make other people feel better. Especially when they're so transparent about it."

"Not really." I said icily, glaring at the half of her face illuminated by the fire.

Nico looked as though he wanted to say something, but didn't dare break the cold silence between Clio and I. But just then another person appeared beside him, as though he had materialized from the shadows the same way Nico had.

"Hey, new girl." The guy said. He looked seventeen years old, with spiky hair and sharp, black eyes that twinkled with mischief. He wasn't as sullen looking as the other two, but he shared their dark family resemblance.

"Hey yourself." I said sarcastically, "Are you the last sibling, or will more of you keep materializing throughout the conversation…because I nearly had a heart attack." He grinned at the challenge. Clio simply rolled her eyes.

"Nope. Just us three in the Hades Cabin. But tell me though, how does Percy get along with all that sass in his cabin?" I laughed a little and blushed, but stopped abruptly as Clio's stare bore into me.

"Beat it, Seth." Nico growled. Seth replied, but I wasn't paying attention because Clio's glare threatened to vaporize me where I sat.

"Hey, it was really great meeting you guys, but I think I was supposed to see Percy about something…I'll catch you later."

"Later, fish-girl." Seth said, smiling flirtatiously. Clio and Nico rolled their eyes. Was it a sin in the Hades Cabin to have a sense of humor?


	5. Chapter 5: Capture the Flag

**Chapter 5: Capture the Flag  
**

The next three days passed in a blur. I spent most of my time participating in random camp activities with Percy and Annabeth, who didn't seem very please to be doing so, which was strange because when I had first arrived at camp, she had seemed very friendly towards me. She had offered to share her cabin, and gave me a tour of the camp, and even boasted about how good a fighter I was to a bunch of people, so I wondered why she now treated me politely but coldly. The stark change in attitude puzzled me but didn't bother me as much as it should have. I had started making friends. The Apollo Cabin was impressed by my ability to shoot arrows into the center of the target with ease. One kid, Will Solace, had just gotten through telling me how I was almost as good as a child of Apollo, when my flaming arrow set fire to Chiron's tail.

Percy was the only reason I made it through the week. He was always there to explain things I didn't understand, show me how to do things I'd never tried before, and, of course, laugh at me when I failed miserably. Being children of Poseidon, we had so much in common it was scary. Both our minds seemed to run on the same wavelength (no pun intended), making our conversations nothing short of captivating. I spent the majority of my time with him, because he wasn't just my brother, but also my best friend.

One thing, however, he couldn't protect me from, was Clarisse. My skills with the sword were minimal, a fact that Clarisse wasted no time capitalizing on.

One day, after humiliating myself yet again in her sword lesson, I hopped into the lake for free time. I felt strength and relief surge through my veins as I waded in the shallows. Clarisse came walking up, and instinctively I stiffened, wary of attack. Laughing meanly, she began to taunt me with her sword, swooshing it and slicing it through the air, before sheathing it and dipping her head to splash her face with water. I couldn't help myself. I felt a tugging in my gut as I willed a tall wave towards the bank. Before I knew what I'd done, Clarisse was coughing and spluttering on the shore, soaked to skin with lakewater. Her face was a deep, angry red, and I dived into the water with a yelp, as she charged. I watched as she tumbled into the water, not knowing how deep it was, her heavy armor dragging her downward.

Already on the other side of the lake, I turned around and swam furiously to help her. Her arms were flailing in all directions, her spear nearly decapitating me. The more I tried to help, the closer I became to being mutilated. I grabbed her spear and flung it the opposite direction.

I tried to seize her wrist, but as I did, I felt her hand close around my throat. Struggling to breathe, I willed the current to throw us against the side of the lake, which rose a couple yards away. As it did, Clarisse's helmet hit the rocks hard.

Her hands fell from my neck and her body became limp. I kicked my legs feverishly, but her armor was too heavy. I heard the crash of the surface of the water as Percy dove in. Together we dragged her to the surface and pulled her out on the beach. Her siblings charged, driving Percy and me away from Clarisse, who was now coughing out a gallon of water.

The nearest Ares boy charged at Percy, who ducked. Percy clicked Riptide, but the Ares kid knocked it out of his hand before he could raise it. Another kid tripped him, grabbed Percy's sword, and pointed it at his face. I grabbed the knife that was sheathed at the other boy's back, and before he could turn around fully, I had it at his throat. Percy raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"Drop it." I hissed at the boy holding Riptide. The sword clanged to the ground where Percy grabbed it. Clarisse, who could now talk, stood up.

"You." She pointed at me. "I'll get you." She threatened, with a hoarse voice.

"You might need to get some swimming lessons first." It probably wasn't that mature, but after all those sword practices where she used me as her slicing dummy, I couldn't help it.

"You…you…water-logged moron! Get down there and bring me my spear!" She growled.

"You're not really in a position to be giving orders." Percy spat. Clarisse made made an attempt to get up, but only fell back into the shallow water. Percy and I bent over laughing. Sitting up she bellowed,

"Ares' Cabin now disbands our alliance for capture the flag! Enjoy losing!" she spat.

Her words wiped the smile right off my face. I'd forgotten why I had to be nice to Clarisse. I looked at Percy, who was still smiling broadly as Ares Cabin trumped off, most of them sopping wet, to their cabin.

It wasn't easy breaking the news of our hideous outnumbering to the Apollo Cabin. They cheered as they heard the story about Clarisse, but became just as grim when I told them what Ares Cabin had done.

"What do we do now? No one's ever faced these kinds of odds." Will looked at me seriously. I looked at Percy. He seemed deep in thought. Just then Nico appeared from behind the trees.

"Hey! You're not allowed to eavesdrop on our planning!" Will glared at Nico with strong dislike. I supposed the child of the sun-god and the child of the god of the underworld were bound have some animosity. Nico held his hands up in surrender.

"I've come to offer Hades' Cabin as your ally. I heard the numbers were against you." Nico looked straight at me. I shifted uncomfortably. Will followed his gaze and found me.

"Well…" he said hesitantly. "We could use the help. And that would give us two Big Three Cabins, as well. Percy?" Nico's eyes flickered to Percy and back to me. I smiled.

"That sounds good." Percy said, looking at Nico suspiciously. "We need to start planning, then, because the game's tomorrow."

Clio and Seth joined the group of Apollo kids and me as Percy, Nico, and Will began to plan. There were only a dozen or so Apollo kids. Percy, Nico, Clio, Seth, and I only made five more. I twirled my hair with my finger absently. If I lost my very first capture the flag game for my team because of a fight with Clarisse, I might as well go down in camp history as the biggest failure at capture the flag.

The next morning I woke up with a sick feeling in my stomach. This plan couldn't end well. On the one occasion I wanted more time, everything seemed to speed up until the conch horns sounded, and everyone stood at their tables in the dining area. All the cabins began sneering at Hades, Apollo, and Poseidon Cabins. They were right to be confident. I still couldn't see how we stood a chance.

Once Chiron had gone over the rules, the blue team dispersed. Our team, the red team, split into two groups. Percy, Nico, and most of the Apollo Cabin made a tight knot as they crossed into enemy territory, leaving Clio and I behind to guard the flag in a clearing. I was so excited I couldn't stop pacing. We heard shouts and clanking armor, but no one ever came close to us. A handful of Apollo archers had climbed high into the trees and were shooting stunning arrows at incoming enemies. Clio sat down on a rock, almost as if pouting.

"Are you capable of standing still?" She said, scowling.

"This is my first capture the flag game. Weren't you kind of excited for yours?"

"Mmhm." She sulked in the corner as if she were being punished. What's was her problem?

"Clio, did we get off to the wrong start? Because you seem to have some problem with me." I sat down opposite her.

"Do I?" She said tersely. A stony silence followed.

"Cassy, would you really like to know why I don't like you?" she said, sounding almost bored. I glared at her for a moment, not wanting to satisfy her with a reply.

"I don't like you, because I already know you."

"No you-"

"Yes, I do. You're the worst cliche. You think you're just a pretty, innocent, little hero who was given this cursed life, and was thrown unwillingly into this camp, and now you feel sorry for yourself because you think you don't belong, or nobody will ever accept you."Her words stung like acid and I glared determinedly at the sky to keep tears from falling down my face.

"But outside you're little self-pitying fantasy world, the reality is: this camp is the best thing that ever happened to you, and the fact that you're a demigod is the _only thing_ that makes you special, and you _do_ belong here and people _do_ accept you, thats why everyone talks about you all the time, otherwise they wouldn't bother." I looked at her reluctantly with watery eyes.

"So you see, I've got you all figured out. I'd say I know you better than you do. But you will never know me." She said with the same bored tone, but I could see her eyes were full of sadness.

"Is that your problem, then?" I spat back at her. "Nobody knows you? What are you...tragically misunderstood? HA! I bet it's more like _nobody even cares_." I immediately regretted saying it, because the look on Clio's face told me I was right.

"They don't notice you." I said softly, almost a whisper, but I knew she heard me. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"It's none of your business, blondie."

"Do people ignore you on purpose?"

"Some. But it's their god-forsaken right, isn't it?"

"But that can be really offensive to you."

"It's none of their concern whether they offend me or not. I'm not a child, so it's not like hurt feelings are the worst thing in the world." she said hastily, obviously wishing she'd said nothing. When she saw I was still looking at her expectantly she added, "It's easier for everyone if I just don't care."

"But you do." She shrugged."Clio, I'm sorry if I ever offended you that way. I didn't mean to."

When she said nothing, I resumed pacing, and Clio closed her eyes.

"You're smart Clio. And very strong. And you can _see_ people for who and what they are. I admire you, and I think you deserve to be acknowledged more."

We sat in silence for another few minutes until a tap on my shoulder made me jump. I turned around to meet Seth, who wore a wary yet amused expression as he noted the obvious tension between Clio and myself.

"There's an ambush waiting somewhere past that rocky area in the enemy territory. We can take them out before Percy and the Apollo kids reach them, if we run fast."

"Well someone has to stay and guard the flag." Clio said, eyeing Seth suspiciously.

"Hey, I need your help." He said, looking at me earnestly. Clio mumbled something that sounded like 'Sure, you do,' and followed us grudgingly. Leaving the clearing, we ran up through the woods and towards the thicker trees. Once we were over the rocky side of the forest, I thought I saw a blue plume and halted. Seth and Clio stopped and looked back, puzzled. I only had time to shout, "DUCK!" before a sword nearly sliced off Seth's arm.

What seemed like the entire cabins of Ares and Hermes were grinning at us with sick pleasure. Clarisse stepped forward.

"Oh, no! Where will you run if there's no lake, coward?" she teased.

"You should really like it out here, Clarisse. You don't need floaties to fight on land."

Clarisse growled, "I'll pulverize you, fish-face." She turned. "You two," she indicated Clio and Seth, "I'll give you the chance to run, and leave this pea-brain for us to take care of." Her cabin snickered. Clio's eyes flitted to me and then fixed on Clarisse fiercely.

"No way in Hell." Seth said, a challenging smile curling his lips.

Clarisse's smug face turned into a snarl and she charged. Seth knelt and gave me a foot up, like we'd practiced the day before, and I grabbed the nearest tree branch. Climbing up higher and resting my knees on either side of the thickest bough, I pulled out a handful of arrows and sent them flying into the fray.

Seth and Clio stood back to back, neither an amazing fighter, but nonetheless held their ground. A few Ares kids attempted to climb up the tree, but never made it to the first branch before I shot them down with my electric arrows. Clarisse sliced at Clio without mercy. Aside from Clarisse, only a handful of fighters were left standing. I pulled a thick, long, piping hot arrow from the quiver. I aimed carefully and sent it straight towards Seth and Clio, shouting, "NOW!" as I did so.

Both leapt aside, having been waiting for the signal the entire time. As soon as the arrow hit the ground it exploded, sending all the Ares and Hermes fighters that had been left soaring into the trees. I hopped down swiftly, Seth catching me, and we ran back towards the border.

As we did we heard cheers. Cheers that didn't sound like Apollo kids or Percy. I pressed harder, running several yards ahead of Clio and Seth. When I reached the creek I spun around to see remnants of the Athena Cabin, Aphrodite Cabin and the Demeter Cabin reaching the banks, holding the red team flag, almost reaching their friendly territory. I ran to stand in their path. Annabeth fixed me with a challenging glare. Just then, Percy, Nico, and the Apollo Cabin, including the archers, ran in with the blue flag.

"Well, well." Annabeth said, looking straight at me. "I see you made it through the Ares and Hermes ambush." I could see she was trying to intimidate me, and it pissed me off.

"Not one left standing." I returned coldly. Percy appeared at my left.

"We took out the Hephaestus guys and Pollux, along with the Athena kids you left as a decoy." He said, almost flirting. "Very clever plan, Annabeth, but if you wanted me to think the Aphrodite and Demeter Cabins had been defensive, you shouldn't have gone with them."

Annabeth smirked at his remark, but scowled as Percy leaned over and asked, "Hey, Cass. Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Just a bit scraped up. Sorry I left my post, but you'd have never made it past the ambush without our help." I indicated Seth and Clio. Percy sighed theatrically.

"I'll think about forgiving you." He smiled and turned to Annabeth, whose face was almost purple, "So here we are. I have your flag, you have mine. We're both a couple yards from the border. What are we going to do?"

Annabeth looked at him playfully, "I vote we pick champions to fight for us." There was a murmur of assent from her team.

Percy smiled curiously. "Alright then…My team picks Annabeth." Giggles broke out from the Aphrodite Cabin. Annabeth stepped forward confidently.

"I guess it's my turn to choose, isn't it." She said, as Percy stepped towards her, raising his sword. She smiled flirtatiously. "Cassy." All the cabins fell silent. Annabeth gave me a fleeting look before returning her attention to Percy.

"What?" He looked at her, outraged. "She's been here for three days! She's barely trained!"

"She's been here six days, Percy, and she just took out an ambush with more than two dozen fighters." She said, not a trace of a smile left on her face.

"She was unconscious half the time she's been here, and she had help fighting today. Annabeth, you could hurt her!" He looked furious. Personally, I couldn't wait to get into a fight with her. She'd begun to drive me up the wall.

"And she could hurt me. That's the point of a battle. I don't see why you're so upset." She stuck her sword in the ground and rubbed some dirt onto her hands, bracing for battle. Percy stared at her in disbelief, "Besides, you agreed to the terms. Each of us chooses a champion from the other team."

"Only because I thought you'd pick me! Annabeth you can't be serious." The kids in the Apollo Cabin were cracking their knuckles threateningly. They'd practically adopted me. Annabeth turned her attention to me, unfazed. I glared back.

"I accept." I said, ignoring Percy's objections. I couldn't peel my eyes away from Annabeth's hateful expression.

"Cassy, don't you-" he began.

"Choose a weapon." Annabeth snapped.

"Don't tell me what to do. I'll fight with whatever I want." There was a collective gasp, and I got the sinking feeling that no one ever dared talk to Annabeth that way. From the look on her face, I guessed I was right. Her eyes narrowed.

"Fine. Whenever you're ready." She crouched, ready to strike.

Percy looked back and forth between us, unsure of what to do. I unsheathed a long dagger. Everyone but Percy backed up, forming a semi-circle around Annabeth and me. A smiled curled around her lips. She reached to her back pocket and pulled out a Yankees cap. Percy yelled.

Before I registered why the cap was important, she put it on and disappeared. I backed into the river. I closed my eyes, struggling to hear Annabeth's footsteps. I felt the familiar tugging in my gut as I sent a wave crashing in the direction I heard them. Annabeth materialized, Yankees cap flying off and floating down the river, and fell onto the shore, spitting water.

I raised my bow, and pointed it at her as she struggled to get up. Her sword lay yards away. She pulled out her knife and eyed me warily. I could almost hear her brain buzzing, trying to find a way to get me out of the water. I stepped in deeper.

I sent a volley of arrows in her direction, but she dodged them all, and ran towards me, seizing her chance. If you've ever been in a sword fight, it's a lot harder than it looks. If you've ever been in a knife fight, its far more dangerous than it sounds. It lasted maybe twelve seconds in all, but when my knife went sailing out of my hand, I had at least four deep gashes. They all healed, though, because Annabeth had chosen to fight me in the water, within my own element.

I grabbed her knife hand as she made to strike again and twisted her wrist. She winced in pain, and dropped the blade. I turned and with one last effort, hurled her into the creek. I picked up her knife as she hit the water with a splash, and, to thunderous cheers, I took the flag from Will Solace and carried it past the boundary line.

Percy gave a sigh of relief. "You need to have more faith in me." I joked, punching his arm.

He smiled briefly, pretending that it hurt. "Seriously, Cass. Annabeth could have chopped into pieces if you weren't in the water…I should probably go check on her." He ran over and helped her up. She was sopping wet.

"Seaweed brain!" she shouted. I was surprised when I realized this was aimed at me, "You think you're a real hero because you won this fight. Out there in the real world you wouldn't stand a chance." Silence consumed our audience as she spoke.

"Grow up, Annabeth. You can't win every battle." I said, tears stinging my eyes. I dropped her knife at her feet, and walked out towards the woods. Once covered by the trees, I broke into a run.


	6. Chapter 6: The Hades Kids

**Chapter 6: The Hades Kids**

I ran as fast as I could, pressing harder and harder until I collapsed. My insides ached from the exertion. I sat, panting and removing my helmet, when I heard a voice from inside my own head. _Hey, there boss! I mean ma'am, er—Cassy. What's up?_

"Hey Blackjack," I said, as the great black pegasus trotted up beside me. "I'm doing alright."

_You don't look alright._

I laughed bitterly and began removing the rest of my armor. "Maybe I'm not, then." I stared at the ground.

_Boss?_

I took a deep breath and said, very fast, "Have you ever thought of just flying away?"

_Come again?_

"Haven't you ever wanted to just fly off into the unknown?" I thought I heard a shift in the bushes behind me. I looked over my shoulder and swiftly yanked myself onto the horse's back, feeling his excitement as I did so.

_Where are we going, boss? _He said, preparing to kick into the air.

"Up." I said, glancing around nervously.

_Profound._ He answered. Who'd have known a horse could be so sarcastic?

Blackjack kicked off into the sky, the air soaring past my ears. I felt so _alive_. I took a deep breath as the air blew my hair straight behind me. Higher and higher we flew, and the higher we went, the more exhilarated I felt.

I heard shouts and cries below, but ignored them, letting out a loud, "Woooohoo!" as I soared. Blackjack's thoughts echoed my cry.

Just then, I heard a shout close behind me. I turned my head and saw Percy, on a white pegasus, Riptide in his hand.

_Hey, other boss! What's up?_

Percy's face was hardened. He looked straight at me with his sword raised. Something was odd about the expression on his face. I gave him a questioning look he did not respond to. I followed his gaze, which went straight through me towards a mass of dark outlines against the sun. A cascade of arrows flew in front of me from somewhere below, and Blackjack swerved. Now away from the sun's glare, I saw hundreds of birds with glinting bronze beaks headed straight towards me. I'd flown way, way too high, past the camp boundaries.

I made to draw my bow, but off balanced and went plummeting towards the earth far below, hearing Blackjack and Percy's yells. A hand grabbed my wrist as I fell, and yanked me jerkily onto another pegasus. I shifted my weight so I wouldn't fall again.

"Thanks." I said, as Annabeth urged the pegasus up towards the fray. Blackjack flew along beside us, and I mounted once more. I drew my bow more carefully and fitted more arrows. As I got closer, the bird's screeching made my ears numb. I gasped in horror as I saw them picking at Percy and his pegasus above me, only a few here and there disappearing in a shower of golden light. I sent arrows flying as fast as I could, but none of them did any good. The birds were too fast, and they were biting, cutting, and clawing Percy all over. Annabeth flew beside me, holding in her hand two brass bells. They looked ancient.

The moment she began clanging them, the birds went haywire. The shower of arrows from underneath us found several of their targets, and not one of mine missed. Annabeth and Percy slashed at the mercilessly, until all had either burst into a golden shower or flown away, screeching loudly.

When they had gone, Percy laid against his Pegasus, bleeding from several places. Annabeth helped me put him on Blackjack, since he was the biggest of the three pegasi, and flew with me to the infirmary.

Erin, who I now realized to be a tree nymph, hurriedly set out a bed for Percy, and brought nectar and ambrosia for him. Annabeth helped Erin tie his wounds, and watched, astonishingly less hateful, as I fed him the ambrosia and nectar. When he began to stir, she came and sat beside me.

"Hey you." We didn't bother discerning who it was intended for.

"Are you alright, Percy?" Annabeth asked nervously.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Did we get those birds?" He said, struggling to sit up. Annabeth pushed him back down.

"Yes, we got them. Don't hurt yourself, though." She smiled at him exasperatedly.

He stopped fighting and sat back peacefully. Then he looked at me.

"_You_," He said, pointing, "If you ever scare me like that again…I mean, what were you thinking?"

I tried to look sheepish, but couldn't help laughing.

"I loved being up there. It felt so…euphoric." I said dreamily.

"Until you fell." Annabeth said warily. It was odd, but I could tell she didn't mean in a insulting way, but just as a joke. I laughed and added,

"Yeah, until then. If you forget the part where I got attacked by some possessed birds, just about fell to my death, and nearly lost my half-brother, it was a blast!" We all laughed, Percy wincing in pain as he did so. We sat for an hour or two until the sky began to darken, talking and laughing, as if the previous events had never happened.

"Well," Annabeth said, struggling to speak because she was laughing so hard, "I think I need to check on my cabin. We should be getting for dinner. See you in the dining area." She gave Percy a swift kiss on the cheek. She made an attempt to pick up the armor.

"Annabeth, can I help you with that armor?" I said tentatively. She gave me an appraising look, and nodded.

"Thanks." She said quickly, inhaling sharply as she dropped the helmet on her foot.

"I feel so useless." Percy grumbled from his bed, as we both struggled under the weight of Annabeth's and Percy's armor. Mine still laid somewhere in the forest. Once we had clanged our way to the Poseidon cabin, and spent ten whole minutes figuring out who's armor was who's, and we laid out her armor on her bed in the Athena Cabin, I sat down, catching my breath.

"Annabeth, I'm really sorry for what I did today."

She looked at me, bemused. "_You're_ sorry? I tried to kill you out there. I should never have even challenged someone so inexperienced," she looked ashamed, "And I've always been a bad loser. I'm the one who's sorry." She smiled feebly.

"Don't worry about it." I said, getting up.

"Cassy, I learned something today," she said, not looking at me, "I'm not very wise. Not for a child of Athena. Percy's you're brother and he takes care of you. That's not something I should be jealous of." She looked downcast.

"Annabeth…" I said, not really planning on what to say next.

"I mean, before I knew he was your brother, I really liked you. You're a lot like a child of Athena. You're much wiser than me, Cassy."

"I wouldn't go that far." She gave a shaky laugh, and we left the cabin. As she went to go find her cabin mates, I returned to the infirmary.

"Took you long enough." Percy said, smiling pleadingly. "Now get me out of here!" Helping him stand up, I slung his arm over my shoulder, and we made our way to the lake, him leaning heavily on me. When we reached the water, I threw him into the water unsympathetically and dove in after him.

"Why didn't we come here in the first place!" He complained, swimming back and forth with his newly healed limbs. "This is a lot less painful." He did an underwater flip, grinning arrogantly when he had finished.

I chuckled and sat down on a rock.

"How come this lake is so clean?" I squinted. I could see roughly a quarter mile down the lake through the clear, glass-like water.

"Camp Half-Blood is like no other place in New York. It's beautiful, it's clean…" He laid back with his hands behind his head and stared at the surface of the water, "I guess Mr. D just has that effect on plants; they go wild around him. All the children of Demeter do their share, too. But it all comes down to the fleece."

"The fleece?"

"Remember the story I told you, about Luke Castellan poisoning Thalia's tree?"

"Oh…That's right. You went to get the fleece and save Grover, your satyr friend, and met Polyphemus, the giant Cyclops." I said, wide-eyed.

"Yeah. Well when we brought it back, this place practically became a paradise."

"I see. Well, a week ago I never imagined I'd say this, but I really like it here." Percy sat up.

"I told you it was only a matter of time." He said, elbowing me. I smiled and closed my eyes.

The night sky was so impossibly clear through the lake surface. Seeing the familiar constellation of Zoe Nightshade against the dark heavens, I sighed, remembering her sad story. I'd never met my father, the god of the sea, but I knew just by hearing Percy's stories about him, that he would never be as cruel as Atlas had been, killing his own daughter.

We sat there at the bottom of the lake for a long while in silence. I was pretty sure we had missed the bonfire again. I wondered if Annabeth would be mad, like before. If she truly understood my relationship with Percy like she claimed to, she wouldn't mind.

I stared at Zoe's constellation fixedly, but my thoughts drifted back to Percy. From the beginning of their quest, she knew that she would die, but like Thalia, she gave her life so that her friends could live. As I glanced over at Percy, who had his eyes closed and was humming slightly, I realized that I would give my life to save him. He opened his eyes and returned my gaze. I knew he would do the same for me.

He gave me a searching look. "What are you thinking about?" he said, looking concerned.

"Why do you ask?" I said, quickly wiping the expression off my face.

"You had your face all scrunched up, like you were thinking really hard, and your eyebrows were furrowed, like you were upset. What were you thinking about?" he asked.

"I was thinking…that we're starting to make a habit out of missing the bonfire." He laughed cooperatively, but I knew this answer didn't satisfy him.

"Maybe we should head back up and see if we can catch the end?" I nodded, and we kicked off from the bottom.

By the time we trudged up to the bonfire, the sing-a-longs had already ended. When we approached, all eyes were on us, and I saw Annabeth's face fall slightly. She composed herself hastily and greeted us with a smile. Leaving the two alone for awhile, I wandered over to the Hades kids. I received a bunch of puzzled looks as I did so.

Most of the camp had issues with their cabin. Not only did they creep everyone out with their general aura, but they also walked around in the shadows, so you could never tell if one of them was listening in on your conversations. Since I was fairly popular among the Apollo kids, hanging out with them attracted a lot of attention and confusion.

Getting used to camp was like struggling to ignore an annoying younger sibling. The points and stares had stopped almost entirely, but I was still a sort of celebrity because of my infamous first week at camp. I'd managed to show up randomly, a sixteen year old with no idea I was a demigod, and within my first day got claimed as a Big Three. In addition, I had pissed off the two most untouchable people at Camp Half-Blood—Clarisse La Rue and Annabeth Chase—and beat both of them in battle. Lastly, I won my first game of capture the flag against doubtful odds, flew off into the distance without a forewarning, and caused a flock of Stymphalian birds to attack the camp.

In other words, I was still a hot topic for gossip. I didn't mind so much anymore, though. No one dared insult me to my face anymore, primarily because Percy would chop them into tiny pieces if they tried.

Sitting with the Hades kids at the bonfire wasn't half as bad as everyone made it out to be. Seth was entirely un-Hades. He was casual and outgoing. I felt sorry for him, because he seemed like the kind of guy who likes attention, only no one at camp ever paid attention to the Hades Cabin. He didn't seem to mind, though. He seemed used the way he was treated and acted as though it wasn't worth fighting. Clio had other ideas.

Clio was a thousand times more enjoyable to be around than before. Once she got beyond her initial impression of me, she acted differently. She hung on my every word, as if no one had ever spoken to her that long in her life. When I'd sit next to her, she no longer glared at a random object in the distance, but smiled (with freakishly white teeth).

On weekends, she visited the Poseidon Cabin and sat on the extra bed, talking with me for hours, and it broke my heart to hear the way people deal with Hades' children. When Clio walks by, it's as if she is invisible. When people do take notice of her, their conversations turn to whispers. As Nico had said, their presence scared people. For some unknown reason, this didn't affect me at all.

Nico was especially bitter. Often times it was only Nico and me talking during free time, while Seth and Clio swam in the lake. The fuzzy history of my life seemed to echo his. I had few recollections of my past, but what I did remember frightened me, and upon arriving at camp, I thought I would never belong. The difference was that now I was at peace, while he still struggled.

The addition of the Hades Cabin was supposed to mean that the children would now be honored as if they belonged in the family of the Great Olympians. No one treated them such, which I felt was wrong. The Hades children, like the Apollo children, felt like brothers and sisters to me. The rest of the camp was the extended family I was simply stuck with.


	7. Chapter 7: Clio, Part 1: Rewind

Chapter 7: Clio, Part 1 (Rewind)

I was running for my life, in a long, dark street, with not the slightest idea of what kind of evil I was running from. All I knew was that if I dared stop for a single second to catch my breath, whatever it was would consume me. I ran in every direction, searching for a way out, but everything around me was blurry.

My heart was beating so hard, it felt like it was out of my chest. At last, when I could hold on no longer, I fell on my knees and cried out, waiting for the thick blackness to devour me. I turned with wide eyes, and beheld the terrifying face of my foe.

Fear.

And I was shrouded in the dark mist.

I awoke sweating and panting, in a cabin with black drapes, sheets, walls, everything. I felt a sudden urge to fire the decorator. I climbed out of bed, and surveyed the empty room. Seth had left his clothes strewn all across the floor, and his iPod still played, muffled, through his headphones on the nightstand. Nico, as always, left no trace he had been here. What a head case.

I yawned and got dressed, thinking about my dream. Apparently all half-bloods had creepy, vivid dreams, just like me, but I wondered if anyone had had one so disturbing. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Long, black, flowing hair obscured my face. I attempted to brush through it, with little success. Giving up the attempt, I dropped the brush and walked out the door. The long, black door. It's not so hard to guess the theme of the Hades Cabin.

A cool sea breeze added a salty mix to the vague smell of strawberries in the air. It appeared as though it would be a beautiful day, for anyone who's into sunshine and flowers and happiness. Not me.

Upon reaching the mess hall I noticed something was different. Everyone was huddled around his or her tables whispering. Walking along the walls in the shadows (a bad habit all Hades kids tend to pick up) I heard whispers about a new girl. I was so used to these whispers being about me, I was caught off guard when I heard them. When I walked past the Aphrodite cabin's table I caught tiny snippets of hushed gossip.

"I heard she fought off some huge spiders…"

"Ewww! Spiders? She could have broken a nail!"

I rolled my eyes and continued walking, passing Ares' table. They're supposedly the strongest warriors at camp, but I think they're just a bunch of hot-heads, in the same way they think Hades kids are just a bunch of creeps. You do not want to cross paths with Ares' child on a bad day, especially not Clarisse, the cabin's counselor.

"I heard she fought off ten spitting recluses at once!"

"I heard it was twenty! She's got to be one of us! No one else could fight off that many…"

Glaring at them from the shadows I continued walking, passing Athena's cabin.

"Annabeth thinks she's a daughter of Athena. She fought off a whole horde spitting recluses all on her own. Only a daughter of Athena could have survived that."

"I wish I knew her strategy…" One said dreamily. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Or she could possibly be a child of one of the big three. That would explain her strong scent."

"That's the explanation Finch has been offering to anyone who'd listen."

I finally reached Hades' table. Nico and Seth were polishing off the last bits off their plates just as I got there. I helped myself to some breakfast and started eating.

"So what's this about a new girl?" I asked.

"Finch sniffed her out last night. He's been saying she has a really powerful scent. Doesn't that sound familiar?" Seth answered, winking at me.

"You're right, Seth. I seem to remember a really smelly Hades kid that washed up two weeks ago." Nico said sarcastically, elbowing me. I just smiled weakly and continued to eat my food.

That day was another day of trails, sword and shield training, archery, and other stuff. By the time night arrived, I was exhausted. I went deep into the forest and sat down by the creek.

"Hey, what's up?" A familiar voice asked. I turned to see Seth, his spiky hair sticking out in every direction. No matter what you did to it, it wouldn't lie flat.

"Just thinking about that new girl…" I paused. "How did you know I was here?" I asked suspiciously.

He grinned, pearly white teeth almost glowing in the darkness. "Children of Hades are gifted stalkers." He looked into the distance.

I tapped my foot on the bank absently. "Who do you suppose she is?"

"I don't like speculating, so, I don't know." He shook his head nonchalantly. Someone who didn't know him would have thought he didn't care. But as I'd discovered today, everyone, including the careless daredevil Seth, was dying to know who she was.

"Oh, please. You're just as curious as I am." I paused. "She could be a Hades kid, you know. Powerful scent, good fighter…"

"Hold up. Hades kids have many outstanding qualities, but 'good fighters' is not among them. Besides, I would really hate for her to be my sister." He said, smiling a little.

"And why is that?" I asked, puzzled.

"The word is, she's really hot." He said, shamelessly.

The next two days passed in a blur. They were regular camp days with much training, nothing eventful happened. We woke up, ate breakfast, trained, ate lunch, trained more, went to the campfire… and the cycle started all over again. The only thing I remember was capture the flag on Saturday, where my team lost.

Through all this, the only thing that remained a mystery was the identity of the new girl. The subject of who she was dominated all gossip. No one knew who she was and she couldn't exactly tell us. She had been bitten by a spitting recluse and was still recovering. The only thing that was certain at this point was she was a half blood. No one even knew her name.

At this point, almost all the cabins secretly wanted her to be one of them. My cabin kept out of the guesswork, as did a few others, but my brothers still hoped she was one of us. The mere fact that she fought off an army of spitting recluses was an honor any cabin would want with them. Hades kids were stereotyped into being awful fighters. The same went for the Aphrodite cabin. Their biggest argument, however, was that she was pretty. Everyone knew none of them were capable of fighting off a dozen recluses, even if all of them were together, so no one took them seriously.

I hadn't even met her, but I already loathed her. Before she was even awake she managed to seize the spotlight. That was precisely something Apollo's kid would do. When I came, sure there was gossip, but no one made a huge fuss. That made me absolutely sure I would despise her from the moment I met her.

Things were just calming down when she woke up from her beauty sleep (Yeah I know, she had a life-threatening spider bite, or whatever). I heard from Jake Mason that she woke up on Sunday afternoon before dinner. Just like a fairytale, she had no idea who she was.

Percy was furious that she hadn't been claimed. Anyone could see it on his face. More gossip surrounded her every moment she spent around camp. Ares' cabin said they saw her taking a short tour around camp with Annabeth. I heard that Annabeth had already taken a fancy to her and invited her to stay in Athena's cabin. The Athena campers were so certain she belonged with them. They said she was terrified of spiders, just like them. To me, it didn't seem like something to be proud of, but Athena's kids treated hating spiders religiously.

I hadn't seen her yet. The campers described her as pretty, with shoulder-length curly brown hair. She had pale blue or light gray eyes, depending on whom you asked.

At dinner I couldn't help but stare at her like everyone else. I had to endure it, so should she. She looked uncomfortable with everyone looking at her, and she brushed her hair behind her ear and sat down as quickly as possible at the nearest able. I smiled meanly. That was the Ares table.

"Hey, punk. Are you a child of Ares?" The nearest blockhead asked.

Her voice was girlish, but low. "I don't know," she half-whispered.

"Then GET OFF unless you want trouble." He shouted. She flinched and jumped back off the bench as far as she could.

"Hey!" Percy shouted, as he and Annabeth ran to her rescue. "Back off, Dylan."

The girl excused herself, blushing furiously, and ran out of the dining area. A tiny part of me was feeling sorry for the girl, but the other half was still madly jealous, so I turned and continued eating.

If I'd thought the buzz about this new girl had been bad before, it was ten times worse now. No one bothered keeping their voices down. Everyone shouted her name to one another.

_Cassy_. That is just the kind of obnoxiously girly name for an Apollo or Aphrodite kid. When I'd finished my dinner, most of the chattering, gossiping people had left the dining area. I was alone at my table, so I silently walked back through the commons area, where a tiny crowd had gathered. In the middle, of course, was Cassy, with a shocked expression on her face. Everyone was saying the same words. _Poseidon. Poseidon? Poseidon!_

_..._

_Hope you enjoyed Clio's Perspective on things...Please comment and tell me who you want to hear more from!  
_


	8. Chapter 8: The Dream

Chapter 8: The Dream

_Twang!_

I fitted another arrow into my bow and aimed higher.

_Twang!_

I yawned lazily and tossed my bow up the bank. Maybe today wasn't the day for archery anyways. There would be endless months, even years, of training and practice, and I would enjoy every minute of it.

As I lay down against the soft grass by the lake's edge, toes just barely skimming the water's surface, I closed my eyes. Thoughts twirled dazedly around in my head, floating in and out of focus. I thought of the bird's-eye view from the back of a pegasi, the taste of fresh camp strawberries, the sound of a twanging bow, and the cool, fresh feeling of diving into the lake. The memory of Percy and me at the bottom of the lake popped into my head, making me smile.

Training with Percy was the most fun out of every activity at camp. He always challenged me, and never went too easy on me. I wasn't too skillful with a sword (bows and arrows are much lighter), but he managed to teach me enough to stand a decent chance in a fight.

I stretched my arms wide, and gave a long, contented sigh. The sun's rays felt warm on my skin, like a blanket that just came out of the dryer. My thoughts turned to the Hade's kids, but most of all Nico, who had found time to talk to me every single day of every week, typically starting a conversation that would last hours. I didn't mind talking to him, but his attention at times made me feel uncomfortable, and I would make an excuse to leave as soon as this happened.

Slowly, my thoughts wove themselves into dreams, and I found myself standing in a forest, surrounded by dark shadows. Ahead I could make out a clearing, and something inside the clearing was casting dancing, flickering lights into the surrounding trees. My first thought was of water in the moonlight, but I could see no moon through the thick canopy of trees.

Tentatively, I took a step forward, and the whole scene whirled at a nauseating speed, and reformed into a long, dark road. I walked along the road, or the road moved beneath my feet, and arrived, quite suddenly, at an abandoned shack. Too scared to go inside, I crept around the side to see what was there.

I heard heavy footsteps, and a loud shriek in the dark. I tried to run, but my legs were slowing me down. I have to get out! I have to _get out_! As I struggled to run, I heard it creep behind me, felt my body shiver, and suddenly a great pair of red eyes flashed before me, and all went dark.

"Cassy? Cassy! Wake up!" My whole body was covered in sweat, my hair sticking to my face, and I was shaking. I opened my eyes and saw the concerned faces of Annabeth and Clio. First, I noticed this was strange, because Annabeth and Clio did _not_get along. Secondly, I realized there were no sounds of laughter of splashing in the distance. I sat up quickly, looking around. Not a soul was in sight apart from Annabeth and Clio, and the sky had gotten dark.

"Cassy, are you alright!" Annabeth said, in a worried tone.

"I'm fine, Annabeth. I was just dreaming." I said this more for myself than for Annabeth. As she helped me up, I noticed the looks on their faces, heated and serious.

"What's—what's the matter?" I asked, looking from one to the other. Clio replied in a stony voice.

"The fleece. It's been stolen."

...

Here is where the REAL story begins!

Sorry it's so short :(

Please Review! Tell me what you think :)


	9. Chapter 9: Clio, Part 2: Quest

Chapter 9 - Clio, Part 2

The cabins were already gathered in the arena when we arrived, out of breath. Cassy and Annabeth were already craning their necks over the crowd to get a better view.

"I'm sure all of you have already been informed. The fleece has been stolen, and Peleus, the dragon, has been gravely wounded. If the Apollo cabin could go assist the nymphs…" A huddle of Apollo kids, visibly shaken, broke apart from the throng and hurried towards the western edge of the camp.

My eyes followed them as they went, until Seth slid in next to me. He nodded as if to say 'Hey' before turning his gaze on Chiron. I turned my attention to the centaur as a chill crept down my spine. I thought this place was safe? I thought no one could enter past the magical borders?

"We must retrieve this fleece, for in the wrong hands it could be dangerous. You remember well how many satyr's lives were lost to the Cyclops Polyphemus?" A chill crept down my spine as he said this. "Now I don't know who is behind this, but I am certain none of you would ever harm Peleus or steal the fleece. But if you do have any information on the person who did this I need you to tell me so we can find this person and win back our fleece." He looked around sternly.

I closed my eyes, concentrating hard over all the shouting. I was the last person besides Annabeth who had seen Peleus before the attack. I felt a presence somewhere nearby but I had guessed it was a deer or some other large animal…and Annabeth had said something seemed to be upsetting Peleus before she went to get Chiron. If the attacker was _human_, I would have felt a _human_ presence. And if it had been a person hiding in the bushes, Peleus wouldn't have gotten upset. He's around human scents all the time. It must have been some kind of monster who attacked him and stole the fleece.

I opened my eyes. "Chiron!" I shouted, as I elbowed my way to the front of the crowd, but the shout was only half heard, because all the cabins were fighting for Chiron's attention at the same time.

"Enough!" he shouted over the commotion, and the arena grew silent. "Percy found the fleece the first time, and I am sending him again—"

Cries of protest rang out once again. Most prominent among these were the cries of the returning Apollo cabin. Will Solace could be heard over the rest "The Apollo cabin hasn't seen a quest in over a year! This isn't fair to us!"

Chiron shook his head, raising his voice over the clamor "Percy will lead this quest, it has been decided by the oracle."

"Yeah, because the oracle's his girlfriend." Said a Hermes kid to my left. Annabeth's following glare could have reduced the poor kid to a pile of ash.

"Is that where he is now?" Asked Seth, laughing shamelessly with his eyes still on the retreating Hermes kid. Annabeth nodded solemnly, and then turned her gaze to Cassy. "Cassy…are you ok?" She sounded genuinely worried. Since when did they become friends?

"I won't have anymore of this. All of you go back to your cabins. It's getting dark now, and we'll have plenty more information for you tomorrow." I heard the concern in Chiron's voice, and turned around as the rest of the cabins began to leave grudgingly. Cassy was leaning against a tree, her face as pale as any Hades kid, shrugging off Annabeth's inquiries with mutters like "Oh no, really, I'm fine" I rolled my eyes.

Hearing the usual _clip-clop, clip_-_clop _of Chiron's hooves, I sighed and turned around to tell him that I was on my way to my cabin, and that I was just making sure that Cassy was alright. But when I spun around, Percy was approaching us with Chiron, who didn't look angry at all.

"I apologize for all this, Cassy. I understand that it might come as a shock to you, but the boundaries are not, in fact, impenetrable." She nodded, but I could tell her smile was fake.

"It was just a little unnerving that's all, I'm fine, really." I wondered what was going through her head. I remembered that a week after I arrived, something had been stolen from the Big House. I was really worried for a while and thought about leaving until it all turned out to be a prank gone wrong. But no one ever asked me if I was alright. Who cares…I'm just Hades kid, right?

"That's good to know. It's my job to find this guy and get our fleece back." That reminded me, I had something to tell Chiron about the person who stole it…what was it again? "And I've just come back from getting the prophecy from Rachel."

Annabeth straightened up. I guess what I have to say has to wait.

"Umm…Let's see..." Percy began. "_You shall travel far from the east, and face the wrath of an ancient beast."_ I closed my eyes. I knew I was right! "_Encounter fear and a parent's foe_" He looked around swiftly "_To the lair of the mother of ruin you must go_"

Annabeth's forehead was wrinkled. "Mother of ruin…" she mumbled.

Percy took a deep breath and continued,"_The gift of a goddess will decide the fight…and death prepare for your blackest night._"

Nobody breathed. Nobody made a sound once Percy had finished. Yet I could almost hear the gears working in Annabeth's head as she tried to decipher the words of the prophecy. I looked at Cassy. The word death had seemed to diminish everyone in the group a little, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect on her. "Percy." She said unexpectedly. Everyone jumped.

"I want to go with you." Annabeth immediately straightened up, looking at her with a fierce expression. "Absolutely not. Percy couldn't put you in danger like that. You're barely even trained." But neither Percy nor Cassy paid any attention. Their eyes were fixed on each other in a wordless stare, as if they were communicating telepathically. Slowly Percy began to shake his head. Cassy's hands were fists, and her pupils seemed to be filled with tiny, blue flames.

"If this quest is a matter of life and death, I want to be there with you." She said stubbornly.

"If death is somewhere in the equation, that's all the more reason you shouldn't go." Annabeth nodded furiously. Cassy sighed, and, without blinking or breaking eye contact, approached Percy. For the first time, her eyes were pleading, not fiery.

"But you want me to come with you." Percy looked down, unable to hold her gaze.

"Yes I do. You and Annabeth." Of course. Forget I'm even standing here.

"Is this your choice then?" Chiron asked, turning as if to leave. Percy nodded solemnly, and almost reluctantly. With a curt nod, Chiron left the four of us in the dark arena. Nobody had even said a word to me. It figures. Nonetheless, now was the time to tell Percy. He stood where he was, still half turned towards where Chiron had been moments before, staring into the darkness thoughtfully.

"Percy." I said quietly. Nevertheless, he jumped about half a foot.

"Clio," He said, recovering himself, "I didn't see you there."

"Percy, the attacker who stole the fleece wasn't human. I sensed something hiding in the bushes, but it wasn't human." I looked quickly at Annabeth, "and Annabeth said he seemed upset when she went to check on him. Don't you think he would have been more upset if he smelled some kind of monster rather than if he'd smelled a human?"

"That does make sense. But what would a monster need a fleece for? Don't you think it would want to attack the campers instead?" Percy looked at Annabeth.

"Maybe it's working for someone." She said.

"But I still don't see why that person would need the fleece." Percy replied.

"It could be that they just want it for themselves. Greed is a fatal flaw."

"Or maybe there's a more sinister reason behind all of this. Maybe someone's trying to hurt Camp Half-Blood." Cassy added.

"Either way," Percy looked from one to the other, "we should call it a night."

"I'm going to go grab my bow, first. I left it on the bank." Cassy said, walking back across the arena.

"Want me to come with you?" Percy asked. Cassy only laughed,

"I'll be fine. I'm not scared of the dark." No, just spiders.

"Percy, let's go for a walk." Annabeth said suddenly. Percy raised an eyebrow but accepted and they trailed off towards the woods.

I backed into the shadows.

Im so so so so sorry that this update was so late in coming! Hope you haven't forgotten the plot!

The next chapter will be up really soon, and this time I mean it. :)

Hope you all had a great Christmas!


	10. Chapter 10: Clio, Part 3: Love and War

Clio, Part 3 - Love and War

"What are you thinking?" Annabeth said softly, her voice echoing throughout the dark woods. She glanced at Percy, who walked beside her, holding her hand. "Taking Cassy along for this quest is a _really_ bad idea." They stopped in the path where they had been walking and looked at each other. Annabeth took advantage of Percy's silence and pressed on.

"You heard that prophecy. This quest is dangerous and taking her along is risky."

"Risky…" Percy blinked and looked up from his silent contemplation.

"I'm concerned, Percy. Concerned that either she'll get hurt or you'll get hurt trying to help her." But Percy shook his head.

"I know why you're concerned, and I'm concerned for the same reason. But it just feels right. It feels like she's supposed to go with us." Having said this, Percy sighed and closed his eyes, relieved. "We've got enough to worry about with this quest, Annabeth. So just accept this decision. Please?" He put both his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Percy, I just don't think it's safe to…" he gently tucked her hair behind her ear and brushed her cheek lightly with lips. I stood paralyzed, behind the tree, my heart beating fast. Then Percy smiled again. His beautiful, carefree smile.

"You're not listening." He lifted her chin delicately with his hand. He put his cheek next to hers and whispered "Trust me." I felt my face grow hot as I watched her smile. I never liked Annabeth's self-righteous, know-it-all attitude, but in this moment I truly hated her. But of course Percy would pick her, the smart little daughter of Athena. Percy, who doesn't even notice I'm in the room. Percy, who I thought was different. But I guess I thought wrong. He treats me just like anyone else would treat a daughter of Hades…as if I weren't there.

"I don't want her to—" She began to argue, but then suddenly she giggled, as he gently kissed the side of her neck. I inhaled sharply as she pressed her lips to his. Then she flung her arms around his neck, and his hands reached for the small of her back. They moved with each other perfectly, in almost a circular motion, and I felt anger boil inside of me. I closed my eyes and turned around, my head spinning.

Without realizing I found myself running back through the woods from the spot, silently but swiftly. I ran, eyes closed, until I ran straight into someone tall. I fell to the ground, my shoulder aching from the collision, and looked up to see Seth, with a finger over his lips, signaling for silence. He pointed wordlessly towards a clearing up ahead. As we crept closer, I could make out Castalia, her golden hair catching the moonlight, carrying her bow back towards the cabins. I also saw a shady figure walking behind her. Nico.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered to Seth.

"Shhhhhh! I came looking for you and Nico because the cabin was empty. Where have _you_ been?"

"Never mind that. Look." I pointed at Nico.

"Cassy." Nico whispered. I sighed. Cassy is so predictable. She jumped about two feet in the air in shock and in less than a second she had an arrow fitted in her bow, pointed straight at Nico's face.

"Oh, Nico. You nearly gave me a heart attack." She said, catching her breath and lowering her bow, "What are you doing out so late?"

"I could ask you the same question." He said. Why did he have to be so creepy? I mean, I'm a hades kid and I'm calling it creepy.

"Well I—" Cassy began, but Nico cut her off.

"Don't do it." She looked at him warily.

"Do what?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Cassy. Don't go on the quest with Percy and Annabeth. Let someone else do it. I'm sure plenty of people would be happy to—" But Cassy was shaking her head.

"I can't do that Nico. I have to go." I bit my lip, unsure if I could keep watching, "I _have_ to be there."

"No you don't, you _want_ to be there. But you're barely even trained. What's out there is a thousand times worse than what's within these boundaries. You have to believe me."

"Nico, I do believe you, I just…I feel like this is what I'm suppose to—"

"NO, IT'S NOT." He shouted. Cassy flinched, but continued speaking through her teeth, eyes closed.

"I feel like this is what I'm supposed to do. And it's really none of your concern whether I go or not." Her eyelids flashed open, suddenly fierce.

"None of my concern? Cassy, I …I lo—" His looked away, struggling for words "Cassy I lost my sister on a quest just like this. I can't…lose you as well." He stared at the ground fixedly.

Tears welled up in Cassy's eyes but she blinked them away. "Nico, I'm really sorry. I have to go."

"No you DON'T!" As he said it, a crack in the ground opened up, spewing a red flame only inches away from where Cassy stood. But as soon as it appeared, it had gone. Cassy leapt back several feet and stared at Nico, horrified. She began backing away slowly.

"Cassy, don't—" But it was too late. As soon as he made a step towards her she ran.

I closed my eyes, feeling my pain and Nico's swirling together into a large knot in the pit of my stomach. When I opened my eyes I saw Nico's defeated figure, kneeling on the ground, his hands covering his face. Then he spun around and stared straight at the concealed spot where Seth and I stood. I read the anguish mixed with anger, swelling in his pale face before he slowly turned and walked back, away from the cabins, into the night.

Seth and I didn't say a word on the way back to the cabins. When we reached them I slowed down and Seth took the hint and walked past me. Once he was out of sight, I leaned against a tree by the edge. Hot tears trickled down my face for a brief moment until I wiped them away. It's none of my business who Percy decides to kiss and who he doesn't. It's not as though I didn't know he had a girlfriend.

The first day I saw him, he was helping some Demeter kid who was being bullied by Clarisse. I admired his character then. He introduced himself to me on my first week at camp, one of the very few who did so after I was claimed by Hades. I appreciated him then. But when Cassy accepted me, when she reached out and made me her friend, Percy became a part of my life. He occasionally chimed in with helpful advice or a funny joke when I had those long cabin talks with Cassy. He'd help us both in archery class and he and Cassy taught me how to dive. It should have been apparent to me before that he was only there for Cassy.

Cassy, Cassy, Cassy.

Why is everything always about Cassy! What's so great about her? Sure she's nice and she wants to be friends with everyone, but I don't see how that's a reason for everyone to like her too! I mean she's not even smart, like Annabeth. She's too dim to notice half the guys at Camp Half-Blood want to date her, and she's too stupid to think badly of anyone, or even think at all. She's all into "leaping without looking" and waiting for Percy to come help her when she falls. She's headstrong, but without the brains. The little blonde airhead is too wrapped up in her own little world to see that Nico is in love with her, and too self-centered to stay and not get herself killed. And what kind of brother is Percy, putting her in danger like that?

I wish I had never come to Camp Half-Blood and I wish I had never met her or Percy. I'd rather be out there getting eaten by a monster than to stay here and get eaten alive by all this bitterness. But I guess that's the curse of a Hades kid, or maybe just my own personal curse: having a heck of a lot to be bitter about.

I punched the tree trunk with all my strength, letting out a tiny cry of pain as it scraped my knuckles.

"Clio?" My eyes flew open and focused on a solitary figure by the campfire. Cassy's puzzled expression made me want to punch the tree again.

"Cassy." I said, with a curt nod. I could see her worried expression turn into a frown.

"Is something bothering you?" She walked closer as if to sit down next to me, putting her hands in her pockets and tucking a piece of her hair behind her ears.

"There is now." I said coldly, watching her face fall with pleasure. She paused for a moment and then straightened up.

"Then I guess I'll leave you." She said, disappointed. I rolled my eyes.

"Please." I said, adding as much dislike into the word as possible.

"Good night." She said delicately. The anger that had subsided moments before flared up inside me. So she was going to act all innocent and polite now? She looked at me for several moments and slowly walked away without another word. I felt sick inside, yet satisfied by the image of her crest-fallen face still lingering in my head. I kept my gaze in the opposite direction until I heard her footsteps on the stairs to her cabin. Then I got up and walked down the other way towards Hades' cabin.

Seth was laying on the bed with his knees up, throwing darts at the ceiling.

"I hope you poke your eye out one day. It'll teach you a lesson." I walked over to the table and hung my jacket on the chair.

He smiled deviously. "I wouldn't feel too safe if I were you. I have terrible aim."

"Oh I know." I said, turning around, "You prove that every day in archery class."

He laughed. "Hey, it's hard to look good when you're next to Cassy."

As soon as he said that, the anger rose up in me again. It's such a shame, too, because Seth always made me feel considerably happier. A few moments passed by.

"It is." I said tersely, and turned around again, my eyes tearing up. I heard Seth sit up on the bed.

"Is there a problem?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course not. I'm only standing in her shadow every moment I'm with her. And now I'm in her shadow when she's not even here."

"Aw come on, Clio. We Hades kids are always in the shadows no matter who we're with." He laughed, sounding relieved. I rounded on him.

"I should have guessed you were a fan, too. You don't mind hanging out with her all the time because you get to flirt with her."

"Come on, Clio, that's not fair. I'm just saying you should be used to it by now, that's all. I don't think this is a problem with Cassy, it's a problem with you."

"No, it's not. I'm just sick of her happy-go-lucky, I-get-everything-I-want-by-batting-my-eyelashes attitude. She thinks she can stomp on anyone's toes when she feels like it, and—"

"Clio, you're being ridiculous. You and I both know Cassy is nothing like that." He stood up angrily.

"So now you're defending her? Let me guess, you're in love with her, right? Just like everyone else in this whole camp. Just like Nico. Do you want her to stay too? Do you want her to be safe and sound and leave Percy and Annabeth to go do the dirty work themselves?"

"Clio, STOP IT." Seth shouted. I'd never seen Seth shout before. "You're acting like a jealous, immature little child." I took a step forward.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Seth glared at me without saying a word. "So I really am the only person left in this camp who isn't completely in love with Cassy."

"You're wrong there. Clarisse hates her guts. But then Clarisse is just an angry, bitter, human being who has nobody's respect." I glared at him angrily, "If you want to be like her…" He sat down on his bed again, and resumed throwing darts at the ceiling.

I grabbed my pajamas and closed the bathroom door behind me and began changing. My eyes felt so dry from all the crying that it hurt. When I was done, I walked outside and turned off the light. Climbing into my bed, I pulled the sheets up to my nose and turned towards the door, unable to look at Seth. I couldn't remember ever fighting with him like this. If Seth was mad, and Nico was mad, and I had just treated Cassy like filth…who else did I have left? I closed my eyes and concentrated hard on not crying. Before I knew it, I'd fallen into a dark, turbulent nightmare.

...

And there's the next chapter I promised!

Thank you so much for reading!

please leave a review :)


	11. Chapter 11: The Quest Begins

Chapter 11: The Quest Begins

The slam of the cabin door woke me abruptly.

"Morning, beautiful." Percy's voice rang out. I heard the bedsprings creek as he sat down and took off his shoes at the edge of my bed. I sat up quickly and rubbed my eyes.

"Good morning to you too." I said, getting up and yawning. I stretched my arms out wide, accidentally making my tank top crawl up my stomach. Percy chuckled, dropping the shoe he had just removed from his left foot, and pulled the shirt back down, kissing me on the cheek. I sat back down on the bed and ran my hand through my hair.

"Are we leaving today?" I asked, laying back on my pillows as he bent down to get something from under his bed.

"Yep. We'll be leaving sometime this afternoon." He straightened up, suddenly solemn.

"You're sure you want to go?" He looked anxious.

"Oh, yes. Of course." I nodded, getting up to brush my teeth.

"Just making sure." He said, returning to his rummaging. I walked over to the door to the bathroom and opened it.

"Percy, did you pack my toothbrush already?" I said, looking around the sink.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you'd still need it." He grabbed the little green toothbrush from a duffel bag that had appeared on top of his bed while I wasn't looking and tossed it over.

"Thanks." I said, catching it and turning on the sink.

"So where exactly are we going?" I asked, before putting the toothbrush in my mouth.

"The prophecy said 'Far from the east', which isn't a whole lot of help, unfortunately." He called, "But Annabeth said we should start in California, since it's far west. Her dad lives there, too, so that should make things easier."

I murmured a 'Uh-huh' through a mouthful of toothpaste. I rinsed my mouth out and wiped my face with a washcloth. When I turned around, Percy was right in front of me.

"I'm really sorry. We should have asked you where you thought we should go." I stared at him for a moment.

"No, really that's okay. If either of you had asked me, I wouldn't have had a clue. Don't worry." I smiled. He smiled back and sighed.

Suddenly a light switch seemed to turn on in my head. "Hey…didn't you say there was some mountain in California? Some mountain with crazy, mythological, mumbo-jumbo going on?"

At this he laughed. "Haha yeah…Mount Tam."

"Well…don't you think it could have something to do with the prophecy?"

He thought about it for a minute. "I'm not sure. But my first instinct is to stay away from the crazy, mythological, mumbo-jumbo on that mountain, but you could be on to something." I nodded again and his smile widened.

"I just want to know what this ancient beast is. The idea is starting to creep me out." I stooped down to check under my bed for my shoes. I saw Clio's black flip flops at the end of the bed and suddenly felt cold inside. What was up with her last night? Did she know about Nico? Was she mad at me for leaving, too? I shook my head, trying not to think about it. If Im lucky, she was probably just in a bad mood.

"Well I'd better finish packing. You go have breakfast." Percy said.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked, slipping on the flip-flops.

"There's too much to be done." He said, turning, arms folded, to look at the duffel on his bed, which looked as though its contents had exploded out of it. I slipped my arms under his in a quick hug, kissed him on the cheek, and left the cabin. In my pajamas.

Ten minutes later, I returned to the cabin, arms full of delicious breakfast foods from the morning buffet, and we sat on the bed with a map and a notebook. Annabeth joined us a half an hour later and before long, we had ourselves plan.

The night before the idea of retrieving something stolen, like the golden fleece, was a scary thought. But now that I had Percy and Annabeth sitting on the bed with me, I couldn't help but feel immensely excited. I excused myself to get a drink of water.

On my way to the fountain, I was unfortunate enough to cross a gaggle of Aphrodite girls. They stopped me and asked me questions about Percy, asked if I was dating Will Solace yet, and then giggled themselves into a hysterics as I walked away. Had they already forgotten about the stolen fleece, and now it was back to worrying about who-likes-who? I leaned down to take a sip of water, thinking. If I'm going to leave in the next couple of hours, I'd better stop by the Hades cabin, despite the events of last night. All I can do is hope I don't come across Nico…alone.

I walked up the steps reluctantly. Maybe this was a bad idea. I raised my hand to knock, but it just stayed there in midair for a moment, when suddenly the door opened. I saw the familiar spiky, black hair of Seth, the oldest kid. He smiled sadly but knowingly.

"Clio's not here. I'm sorry but you just missed her." I sighed and looked down. She probably vanished herself when she heard my footsteps on the stairs to the cabin. Seth gazed at me sympathetically, "You can come inside if you want?"

Slowly I walked in and sat down on the nearest bed, "I just wanted to return her flip-flops." I said, bitterly slipping them off and placing them at the edge of her bed. I looked around. His would be the last time I saw this cabin for a long time. Seth sat down opposite me.

"Probably a wise idea. If you took them with you she'd probably haunt you until she got them back." I gave a weak smile.

"Come on, Cass, laugh a little. It's your last chance to make fun of us Hades kids before you leave." He looked at me with his twinkling, black eyes.

"It's my last chance to say goodbye to you, and Clio, and Nico…" I said dejectedly, "But they both seem to hate me right now. You know how they say you should never go to sleep angry? Well I'm doing something worse. I'm leaving on a dangerous quest and two of my best friends hate me." I put my face in my hands.

"Trust me Cass," Seth said, taking both my hands in his, "They both care about you, a lot. We Hades kids just have problems showing our emotions and our feelings. We just have problems in general now I think about it…" I laughed, a few tears trickling down my face.

"Cass, I think what they're worried about most is losing you," I took a deep breath, "And I'm not going to tell you to go or to stay, because it seems to me that you've got your mind made up. You're stubborn like that." He smiled, and I couldn't help but return the smile.

"But I will tell you one thing, Cass." I looked him straight in the eyes, holding my breath.

"Be safe."

…

We left that afternoon, and I hadn't seen a glimpse of Clio or Nico the entire day. To be honest, I felt that prickly feeling at the back of my neck when you know someone's watching you as we left the boundaries. Then again, half the camp gathered to see us off.

We booked a train heading west first thing, and boarded late, as the sky was getting dark. Percy kept his sword-pen by his side as though we were about to get attacked at any moment. Things got awkward when it came to seating arrangements. I set by backpack down next to Percy without thinking, and quickly grabbed it up as Annabeth approached, hastily taking a seat next to a crabby old lady who swore I messed up her knitting. Apologizing profusely, I dove into my backpack for my iPod. This was going to be a long trip. Clicking 'play' I leaned back and surveyed the other passengers. Directly across from me and the crabby old lady were two more, almost identical old ladies, fussing over strings and scissors. They were kinda creepy.

When Percy caught sight of them, however, he freaked out and pulled me and Annabeth into a different compartment. The creepy ladies watched as we went, and sliced a piece of thread menacingly as we went.

I continued listening to my iPod and leaned against the window in the new compartment. The compartment was fairly empty, so I sat alone. Annabeth fell asleep on Percy's shoulder, the two of them holding hands. I turned and stared out the window more, feeling my shoulders ache from fatigue and wondering how long this quest would drag on, and how long I would be alone.

Getting off the train the next day, early in the morning, and had breakfast at small coffee house and went window-shopping around the area while waiting for our next train to arrive. That train ride was agonizing. I wasn't the least bit tired. Secretly I wished a monster would attack soon, so I could get my energy out. Nevertheless, the train ride dragged on, as did the following bus ride, and the bus ride after that. Finally, we stopped at a hotel a couple blocks away from the bus stop that would take us to Annabeth's dad's house.

After checking in, we took the elevator up and trudged into a studio room with two queen beds. I laid my backpack down on the farthest one and sat down pulling my hair out of its ponytail. Percy then put his backpack down next to me, and, realizing what he had done, quickly transferred it to the other bed, where Annabeth had placed her jacket. I braced myself for the ensuing awkwardness, but Annabeth didn't skip a beat.

"Percy," she said flirtatiously, sliding her arms under his jacket into a hug, 'This isn't camp. You can sleep wherever you want to." I felt my throat go dry. I shouldn't be here right now.

"Ummm…I'm going to go see if this place has a vending machine." I said, snatching up my wallet and leaving. Annabeth was whispering something in Percy's ear as I shut the door.

_Well that was awkward_. I took a deep breath, and got in the elevator. I walked out past the lobby and into the tiny courtyard outside the hotel. This really was a nice hotel. I know we were only in a studio room, but it still must have been expensive. How were Percy and Annabeth paying for all this?

Then a blinding burst of light made me close my eyes, and I felt a sudden warmth suffocating me for about a second and then it was gone. When I opened my eyes I saw a shiny red convertible parked in the middle of the courtyard, glowing as if the metal was just taken out of a furnace. A man with sandy hair hopped out, eyes alight with mischief, and nodded towards me with a playful grin. His smile reminded me painfully of Seth, but everything else about him was the exact opposite. My heart started beating faster and faster as he walked towards me confidently in his sleeveless t-shirt and jeans.

"Castalia, Castalia." He said, opening his arms wide as if he were about to hug me. "What a name. You're even prettier than the last one."

"Last what?"

"Never mind," he said, waving his hand dismissively, "I'm just so pleased to finally meet you."

"Umm...thanks." I said, shifting my feet uncomfortably. I had feeling I knew who this was.

"You, miss Castalia, have caused quite a buzz. Even among the staff at Camp-Half Blood, and even among the gods." He said, slowly pacing around me in a circle.

"Have I?" I said sarcastically, trying to avoid the uncomfortable thought that he was checking me out.

He stopped right in front of me, "Yes, you have. So of course, I had to meet you. You don't mind, do you?" I shook my head silently.

"Well then. I suppose you've guessed who I am by now?" He posed theatrically.

"Apollo. god of the sun." He bowed, exaggerating every movement and then approached me, grabbing one hand in both of his.

"Yes, and god of prophecy. I am here to help you, Castalia, for I know your future." Something in his eyes as he said this puzzled me, but as soon as it had appeared it had gone.

"How can you help?" I asked, staring into his beautiful eyes. Apollo really is hot.

"Well you're seeking an ancient beast, aren't you?" I nodded, "Well I wouldn't trouble myself over that part of the prophecy. The beast will find you." He said seriously. I gave a shaky sigh as he said it, and he put his hand to my cheek.

"No, no, no. Don't be worried." He said calmly.

"What about the…the foe? Or the mother of ruin?" I said, regaining myself.

"Well, between the three of you there are only two godly parents, so I'd make a guess on that one if I were you." He laughed at my disappointed look, "I can't tell you everything!" I shook my head, smiling.

"The mother of ruin..." he continued, "Castalia, you're a clever girl. I'm sure you could sort that one out on your own." I felt my face flush.

"Well then…what about…death?" I said, not looking him in the eye. He began to say something when a shout from across the courtyard rang out.

"Hey! Cassy! I—" Percy ran up and, catching sight of Apollo stopped. "Apollo…It's good to…hi?"

"Hello again, Percy Jackson." H e said jovially, "I was just meeting with your lovely sister here."

Percy was panting heavily and looked annoyed, "We're on a quest, Apollo."

"No I know, of course I do. I know everything." He smiled conceitedly, "Just visiting. Offering my helpful hints. I'll see you later, shall I?" He said, turning back to me. Percy's eyes jumped to Apollo's hands, which held both of mine now. I nodded, blushing furiously, as Apollo bent down and kissed them. Then he got into his car and I averted my eyes as the blinding flash of light sent another wave of heat through my body.

…

The walk back to the room was silent. When we arrived, Annabeth answered the door and I explained everything Apollo had said. Then Annabeth sat down on the bed meditatively. I sat over at the desk and wondered about what he had said. _Castalia, you're a clever girl. I'm sure you could sort that one out on your own. _What was he talking about? What do I know about the mother of ruin? I'd never even heard that term before three days ago. Mother of ruin…he couldn't be referring to…

"Echidna!" I shouted. The other two stared at me as if I was crazy, "Echidna is the mother of ruin! Percy said he met her before, but he didn't defeat her! And it makes sense! Because she gave birth to all the terrible monsters in Greek mythology, and of course we'd have to go to her lair, because that's where 'the ancient beast' would be hiding!" Annabeth stood up.

"You're right! You're absolutely right! Cassy, you're a genius!" She hugged me tightly, "but then…would she be the 'parent's foe'?" She looked around at Percy.

"She's kind of everyone's foe…but the prophecy sounded more specific. I don't think they would have mentioned our parents if it wasn't a specific foe." He turned to me, "Apollo did say that it was either Poseidon's or Athena's?" I nodded, "So I guess we start there."

"But Poseidon has so many enemies…" Annabeth said. Percy raised his eyebrow.

'Technically, Poseidon and Athena are foes of each other." I said abruptly. Annabeth and Percy burst out laughing as soon as I said this.

"You know, I almost forgot about that, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said through chuckles. She gave Percy a swift kiss on the cheek and suddenly I felt like I should leave the room again. I looked down and the laughter died.

Annabeth cleared her throat and said, "Well I'm going to go brush my teeth. It's getting dark outside. She got up and left, leaving Percy and me in a deep silence.

"Cassy, if we're making you feel uncomfortable, just tell us." I shook my head.

"It's fine, really." I looked at him, but he seemed unconvinced. He smiled nonetheless and nodded. Then suddenly we heard screams from the hallway.

…


	12. Chapter 12: Clio, Part 4: Chimera

Clio, Part 4: The Chimera

The absence of Percy, Annabeth, and Cassy had a huge effect on camp. Percy was some kind of unofficial yet undisputed leader at Camp Half-Blood. As long as I'd been at camp people always looked to him for advice or even permission. If not looking to Percy, people looked to Annabeth for the same reasons. And Cassy...Cassy was just the little star of the whole camp. Good at everything, nice to everyone...it makes me sick. Why didn't I see how annoying it was before.

From time to time, people always left on quests...little errand-like quests. People barely noticed they were gone and throw a party when they got back. But without Percy or Cassy, camp was just...dull. I spent more and more hours walking in the woods by myself, without even Seth to keep me company. Things between Seth and I were strained nowadays. There was something half-hearted in his smiles every now and then. Knowing that he and Nico missed Cassy just as much as everyone else made me even more depressed. I had to get out of camp for a few days. Fortunately, the opportunity arrived in the form of Chiron.

Nico and Seth sat silently across from me at our table. Chiron's familiar 'clip clop clip clop' was audible from across the dining area. Seth looked up, curious, while Nico ignored it and stared grudgingly at his plate.

"Good evening, Nico. You too Seth, and Clio." We each nodded. Nico looked up at Chiron slowly. "I am here to inform you of a...recurring problem with some mist-disturbing attacks near the Long Island sound." Nico straightened up. I could see he was experiencing just as much cabin fever as I had the past few days. "These attacks...they're moving farther west every day. Before long, the beast behind them will be too far away to confront." Seth stared at Chiron in disbelief. Was he offering to give this quest to _us_?

"Nico, I'm aware that you have yet to perform a task for the camp, and I'm offering you the chance." A couple of the tables surrounding us began to grow quiet, the kids sitting at them growing curious of why Chiron was addressing 'the Hades kids'.

"I accept" He said, blinking, his face expressionless.

"Good. To the oracle, then?" Chiron finished, as Nico got up and walked with him towards the Big House.

Suddenly people were standing up all around, turning and whispering to one another, and craning their necks to get an idea of what was going on. Once someone said the word 'quest' everyone made their way to the arena.

When Nico finally returned, his face was ashen, even for a child of Hades. Still, a gaggle of eager volunteers to aid him in his new quest had gathered in the arena. Will Solace at the front, they crowded him as he approached, begging to be chosen. Nico wasn't exactly a popular guy, so many were just now introducing themselves.

"What did the oracle say? Remember, the wording is vital." Chiron inquired.

Nico looked at the group of campers reluctantly and took a deep breath.

"_Three, the kingdom below will behold, and seek the council of a hero of old._"

At this many from the Apollo and Demeter cabins backed away. Of course neither cabin would want anything to do with the Underworld. Will Solace closed his eyes and retreated. Good riddance.

"_A friend shall face the great beast alone…_"

Nico's voice trailed off. I felt my heart race, but Nico only gazed into the distance and didn't speak for a few moments. The crowd still stared intently at Nico, who refused to meet anyone's gaze.

"What is the next line?" Chiron prodded gently.

"_A love, receive a heart of stone._"

A heavy silence filled the arena. No one spoke, or even moved. I could see a handful of puzzled expressions. Nico swallowed. I knew who he was thinking of. Seth gave me meaningful look, which I knew meant that he had the same person in mind.

Chiron waited patiently and signaled for Nico to continue.

"_From another's regret the rider must learn, and one of your number will never return._"

Anxious whispers echoed around the arena. Many of the campers began to look around, as if trying to discover who would not return. Nico looked over to Seth and me and cocked his head. Seth gave a quick nod, and looked at me. Taking a quick, shaky breath, I nodded. After a long, uncomfortable silence, Chiron began to speak,

"Nico, it is time to pick two others who are willing to accompany you on this quest."

"There's more."

Chiron looked taken aback, but then asked, "Well, what is it?"

"Rachel told me what the beast is. She saw it in a vision." Nico said, growing pale. Okay, _pale-r_.

Chiron looked at him expectantly.

"It's the...the Chimera." It was as though all the oxygen left the air. I couldn't breathe at the thought. Not the Chimera...not _again_.

"Well.." Chiron said, looking as though he wished he had picked better campers for this quest. "Well...choose your team wisely."

Nico cleared his throat.

"Clio and Seth."

Will spoke up first. "That's not fair!"

"Did _you_ want to visit the Underworld?" Nico snapped back at him. At this he didn't argue.

A kid from the Ares Cabin spoke up. "Look, you and your brother and sister can't fight. You'll need help from one of us." The rest of his cabin nodded and grunted their approval of this.

"Sorry, but this is a job for children of Hades." He turned to Chiron. "I feel like this is the right choice."

Chiron seemed in deep thought. "It is not my decision to make, Nico, but yours. I would ask you to seriously consider the fact that the Chimera is a fierce beast, unlike anything you or your siblings have ever fought. If you should decide to bring only your brother and sister, I advise that you tread very carefully."

Nico nodded absently, and walked away. The rest of the campers cleared, grumbling and complaining, leaving Seth and me alone. Without thinking, I turned and headed for the woods.

Seth caught up behind me. "Hey, what's wrong?" He stood in my path. I glared at him and turned in another direction.

"If you don't want to go on the quest, Nico can always talk to Chiron and…"

"I want to go on this quest." I said impassively.

"Then what's up?" I turned to him. Why did I have to have a concerned big brother at this moment?

"Seth, leave me alone."

"Not a chance." He looked at me, half-smirking. When he caught my expression, his smile faded. "What's wrong, Clio?"

"Nothing is wrong." He still stared stubbornly, one eyebrow raised in disbelief.

He waited until finally I said, "Look, Seth. I need to kill that Chimera. I have a…grudge."

"It's one of our most annoying family traits. But there's something else, I can tell." I surveyed him a moment. He looked as though wouldn't leave me alone until he found a sufficient answer. We'll see about that.

"Change the subject, or get lost." I hissed through my teeth.

He took my tone as dangerous and hastily changed topics.

"Did you see Nico's face when he read that line from the prophecy. '_A love will receive a heart of stone_'?"

I sighed. "We both know what he was thinking."

Seth sat down on a rock and looked up at the sky, which was getting dark.

"So what are you thinking, Clio?" He asked, looking back at me. My answering glare made him chuckle. He got up, lifting his hands as if in surrender, "Keep your secrets, Clio, if that's what you really want. But it's only going to hurt you in the end." I looked away bitterly. Can't he just mind his own business?

"Clio?" He said, putting a hand on my back, "If you can't tell me, who can you tell? I know you better than anyone else does." I bit my lip.

"Seth its not that I don't trust you…" I said, struggling not to cry, "Its just…my past. I try not to think about it because its painful, and I don't want to be weak."

"Clio, feeling pain isn't weakness." He grabbed my arms firmly, staring at me intently, but I couldn't face him. Strings of memories flashed before my eyes in an aching blur and I sat down quickly, hugging myself tightly in order to stay upright.

"Clio…what happened?" he said, sounding worried. I put my hands over my face.

"I lied before, when I told you I was an only child. And I lied about my mother. As far as I know…she's still alive." I sat there, trembling, as I heard Seth's breathing slow. I pressed on, my voice shaking slightly between sobs.

"My mom never got over her affair with Hades. She still loved him. She named her mortal son, my half brother, Orpheus, after one of the only people to ever go to the Underworld and return again." His smiling face flashed in my head, "And he was perfect. The most beautiful baby brother." I smiled briefly. Then I looked at Seth.

"But you know us half-bloods. Eventually my scent became too strong. Monsters started showing up wherever I went." I took a deep, shaky breath. "And one day, the Chimera showed up while we were at the park. Orpheus was only trying to help…" I collapsed into Seth's shoulder, and he put his arm around me. How could I have been such a fool? Why hadn't I run away sooner? I could have left them in peace, and they would have lived happily together. They would have been safe and out of harm.

I saw Nico's shadowy form through my teary eyes, and saw him give Seth a meaningful look. Seth nodded and put his other arm around me, whispering, "It's gonna be ok, Clio."

And we left that night, at the first sign of dusk, for the Underworld.

...

sorry its so short!

updating really really soon!


	13. Chapter 13: The Ancient Beast

Chapter 13: The Ancient Beast

Percy leapt up and pulled open the door. A great cloud of smoke quickly filled the room as Percy tried in vain to wave it away. Annabeth came running out of the bathroom and nearly knocked me over in her haste. Steadying myself, I inhaled a large breath of the smoke and bent over coughing hysterically, as Annabeth supported me.

Percy flung both arms around the two of us and ducked us out of the room and into the hallway, which was now deserted. But, as we turned left at the end of the hall, we saw the door to the exit stairs, wrenched from its hinges. Annabeth's and Percy's eyes were wide with shock. On the bent up scrap of metal that had been the door were unmistakably- bite marks.

Inhaling shortly, (and immediately regretting I'd done so, as another round of coughs erupted from the three of us) I drew my bow from Annabeth's backpack and fitted an arrow. With a nod from Percy, I started down the stairs.

After a few flights, I reached the lobby doors (or what was left of them). All I saw before me was a scorched hole where the metal and doorknobs should have been. Annabeth's and Percy's gasped followed closely behind me as they saw the burnt hole. I gulped and gingerly stepped over the threshold, and, following the scream I heard around the corner, plunged into the smoky madness.

In the center of the lobby, surrounded by burning lobby furniture, and pounding his clawed feet into the marble floor so that it cracked in all directions, was the largest and most terrifying dragon I had ever seen.

Peleus looked nothing like this monster, which roared loudly, spitting flames in nearly ever direction. I heard Percy shout faintly, but I couldn't register what he was saying. Fear kept me glued to the spot, staring open mouthed at this beast. This…_ancient beast_.

"OF COURSE!" I yelled, cutting Percy off mid-shout.

"Wh-what?" He stammered, dodging a bright blue flame and stamping out the tiny fire that had ignited his T-shirt.

"This is the ancient beast we have to face!" I said, running behind a column to avoid getting toasted.

"You think?" He laughed for a moment. "I think this could be the… Coldrean Dragon."

"It's COLCHIAN Dragon, Percy. COLCHIAN. The original guardian of the fleece." Annabeth bellowed.

"Nevermind what its called! How do we kill it?" I shouted.

Annabeth looked at Percy who shrugged. I sent a few arrows towards the raging beast, but they merely glanced off his armored skin. Percy swung Riptide around, and lunged towards the dragon, both bravely and insanely. At the same time, Annabeth and I shrieked "NO!" but he swung his sword around and gashed the beasts front leg, only to be raked by its long talons.

"PERCY!" Annabeth shrieked, and, with a vengeful look on her face that scared me even more than the dragon, she flung her knife straight towards the dragon's head, which had lowered to incinerate it's new victim, Percy. The knife sunk straight into its small, blazing red eye, and the monster shrieked with agony, breathing fire all over the ceiling and walls until finally it exploded into a puff of golden mist.

I sighed heavily, leaning against a column. You'd think Apollo could have mentioned that the beast was going to find them, would do so in about ten minutes. Wiping sweat from my forehead, I picked up our singed backpacks, beat the remainder of the flames out of them, and went over to where Annabeth was helping Percy up.

When I looked at him, I felt my heart drop. His entire left side was marked by three long gashes, deep and oozing, and he met my stare with one eye, the other was swelled so greatly he couldn't lift the eyelid. Annabeth's face was almost as painful as Percy's appearance, and a mix of tears and Percy's blood littered her face.

"We need to get him to water." I choked, not daring to look at his gashes again. Annabeth nodded, a few more tears spilling out of her eyes. I took Percy's right arm and flung it around my shoulder, and together we dragged him out of the wrecked lobby.

…..

For the first time I shivered as the ice cold water washed over my body. Though my clothes were entirely dry, I felt cold and wet as I brought Percy deeper into the lake. I couldn't remember where we were or what we were doing. All I could think of is that when I took my hands off of Percy's jacket, it became drenched. This was uncharacteristic for a son of Poseidon, especially one that was alive.

But he couldn't be dead, he couldn't be. The cuts surely weren't that deep…but the images of his entirely blood-soaked jeans flashed into my mind, and I closed my eyes to try to make them go away. Deeper and deeper I brought Percy into the water, his breathing so shallow I could barely sense it.

_Come on…heal already. _I looked at his closed eyes, begging to see the deep, see green looking back at me. I looked away, my tears disguised by the water that surrounded me, and I silently prayed. _Please, father. Please. _I couldn't think what else to say. Through the dark waves I could see Annabeth kneeling on the bank, head in her hands, likely saying the same prayer.

Percy's breathing grew fainter and fainter all the while. How much time had elapsed? A minute? Two minutes? Maybe three? He should be doing somersaults by now. A wave of dread crashed over me and suddenly I clung to Percy's limp body, tears spilling out that no one could see. Tears which floated away in the darkness, indiscernable from the rest of the lake water.

Laying my head on his shoulder, my tears felt hot against the cold water and his colder skin. "I can't do this without you. Please heal. Please come back." I cried helplessly. "Don't do this to me. I need you."

"Alright, alright." His deep voice answered. I gasped and jerked back. His twinkling green eyes looked at me tiredly, yet they were unmistakably full of life. I gave a half laugh, half sob and flung my arms around him, and feebly he returned the hug.

"Careful, that actually hurts." He said, wincing.

"But why…shouldn't you be healed entirely?"

"I _should_ be dead, actually." He said, brows furrowed. "But I guess our dad decided to give me a second chance?" He looked away absently and then returned my gaze.

"Thank you." I said, joyful tears welling up in my eyes now.

"For what?" he said, smiling.

"For coming back." I said gently, and slowly I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. I thought I saw him blush a little, so I hugged him tightly to avoid looking him in the eyes.

When we finally met each other's eyes awkwardly, we both said at the same time, "Annabeth!"

….

Annabeth was so overcome when Percy emerged alive. We had been at the bottom of the lake for about fifteen minutes, and she had assumed the worst. The water being too dark and murky for her to see Percy come to life, she had thrown herself over a boulder and sobbed heavily until Percy poked her in the back.

Now all that could be said was that Annabeth had nearly attacked him with so many kisses and "I love you's" and hugs that made Percy wince, that I no longer felt awkward, but merely laughed hysterically along with Percy at the sight.

When dark finally settled, we set up camp, and sleepily discussed the events of the day. Percy was nearly healed from the ambrosia and nectar by the time we decided to go to bed, but my mind was buzzing, and I couldn't sleep.

I stumbled out towards the lake, mind awake but body still sluggish, and dipped my toes in the cool water, immediately energized. I waded in deeper and nestled myself in the shadow of a large rock at the water's edge. There I laid back against the cool stone, and rested my eyes. What a day.

"Couldn't sleep?" A voice came from somewhere behind me. Wading around the side of the rock, my eyes fell upon Percy, leaning into the stone in the exact position I had been in, but on the opposite side of the rock, which was bathed in moonlight. I nodded.

He chuckled lightly. "After today…I mean…well… I guess I'm just wondering if I fall asleep…whether or not I'll wake up again." I slid over to where he sat and leaned against the cold rock beside him.

"I was worried if I fell asleep, you wouldn't be there when I woke up." His eyes, fixed on something in the distance, grew moist at the words. I looked down at the water and twirled my finger around to make a whirlpool. Then I felt his warm arm rest around my shoulders, and I leaned tenderly on his chest.

"You know what, Cas?" I twisted my head up to see his face. "I think I'm all healed now."

...

**SO SO SO sorry that I've been away so long. I really hope this long-awaited new addition lives up to your expectations.**

**Please read and review. I will update much more often if I receive feedback on this. Thanks so much for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14: Clio, Part 5: Underworld

Chapter 14: Clio, Part 5: Underworld

The rancid smell of death lingered potently along the cavernous castle walls of Hade's Underworld dominion. Bones decorated the floor and every so often, we could spot a skeletal guard walking down a distant hallway. Instinctively, Seth and I kept close together while Nico walked solemnly ahead. He had been to this disgusting, dark, death palace before, and it seemed to have only a mild effect on him. However, Seth and I had never even met our father before, much less visited this Hell-hole.

Seth accidentally stepped into a pile of bones that littered the floor, snapping a few of them like twigs. He yelped and sped forward several steps, dragging me along with him. Nico, however, didn't even glance behind, and trudged forward, zombie-like, as if nothing had happened.

In the past few days, ever since Cassy had left camp, Nico had reverted to his old self, to the Nico I had known before he had met Cassy. he was humorless, dark, and his eyes were lifeless. I knew what feelings tormented him, I had similar feelings of my own, tucked away where no one could find them, but I still felt resentful of his attitude.

Before us walked a hateful creature, with the most revolting countenance. A fury, named Alecto, who took us grudgingly past the gates of Hade's castle to see the God of the Underworld himself. Being a child of Hades, I would have expected that the ghostly chill of the Underworld, the rotted smell corpses in the ground, and the sight of thousands and thousands of dead souls trapped forever in the gray fields of Asphodel, would not have affected me very much at all. But I still wanted to get the hell out. No pun intended.

The worst part of the journey had been making our way through the fields. Seth had kept his eyes dead ahead (no pun intended) to avoid scanning the crowd for those he knew. His own mother had left him with his grandparents at a young age, and I could tell he didn't want to find her here. I also noticed Nico's eyes desperately searching the faces for Cassy, though he tried not to appear too anxious. Every so often, we'd both spot a head of bright, golden blonde hair in the crowd, but each time the ghostly figure would turn around and reveal itself to be someone else.

There was once I could've sworn I'd seen Percy's untidy brown hair, and I felt like my heart had sunk to somewhere around my stomach, but the image flickered and disappeared before I could tell for sure. _Strange_, I had thought, _I didn't know ghosts could vanish like that._

And as we had neared the edge of the fields, Nico lost all pretense and turned around, giving the fields one last searching glance, and turned to leave.

Deep down, as much as I'd fantasized about her getting hit by a car or eaten by a dragon, I had dreaded seeing her in the fields almost as much as Nico. If I ever saw her again, I wouldn't want it to be like this. My mind drifted to the last cold words I had spoken to her before she left. Seth was right. I was just bitter and jealous. And suddenly, I wished I could apologize to her somehow.

"Seth?" I whispered.

"Yeah?" He said, laughing silently at how silly we both looked, huddled together in Nico's shadow.

I bit my lip. "I was thinking about the fields—" I began, but Seth stiffened.

"Just don't, okay, Clio? Don't think about 'em."

"If Cassy had been—" I started.

"But she wasn't there, was she? And even if she had been, you know she'd have forgiven you." He said calmly.

After a long pause, I asked, "How do you always read my mind?"

"It's my job." He smirked.

Suddenly we reached the end of the hall, the hideous creature paused before two ornate wooden doors with knobs in the shape of skulls and turned around.

"Young masters" she said, with as much venom as she could pack into those words, "Please enter. Your father expects you." And, with an almost gleeful grin, uglier than anything I'd ever seen in my life, she flitted away.

Nico turned to see Seth and me cowering behind him. Quickly, we both straightened up and cleared our throats.

"Well," Seth said, adopting a sarcastic smile, "I suppose its now time for us to meet our dear father, Clio?"

I grinned back at him, and rolled my eyes as if to say, _No big deal. Couldn't care less._ But in reality, I was hastily combing my hair with my fingers. Even Seth licked his hand and tried in vain to flatten the back of his spiky hair. We both inhaled sharply, and I squeezed Seth's arm, as Nico pushed open the great wooden doors.

The throne room was bathed in a ghoulish light, emanating from torches filled with green flames which lined the dark stone walls. At the end of the room sat two large, stone thrones encrusted with rubies and emeralds and other precious stones. Gold coins, chalices, and jewelry lay at the feet of these thrones in large heaps, and sitting one each throne was a black robed figure.

One was a tall, serious-looking man, with a thick, long black robe with some strange pattern on it that I didn't have the time to study. My eyes moved to his solemn face, which held deep, jet black eyes, and was surrounded by long, dark black hair. Next to him was a slightly less solemn-looking girl, with similar long, black hair, and warm brown eyes, though they seemed lifeless on her pale skin. She wore an expression of disgust as she surveyed Nico, Seth, and I.

What else had I expected? I mean, we were all the living proof that Hades had cheated on Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, _at least_ three times.

Hades stood slowly and opened his arms wide in welcome, but his cold, sinister eyes betrayed this hospitable gesture. "Welcome, my children."

…..

**Hope you enjoyed this short installment. What will Hades do next, I wonder? And what's become of Percy, Annabeth, and Cassy!**

**Please leave a review for me, that'd be nice :)**

~ Calliope


	15. Chapter 15: Clio, Part 6: Doomed

**Chapter 16: Clio, Part 6: Doomed  
**

"Welcome, my children."

"Father," Nico knelt, and I watched as Persephone's eyes followed him scornfully, "We've come here on a quest. We must speak to the soul of a great hero."

"Surely you could have summoned the soul yourself, without coming down to my dominion."

"The prophecy led us here." He replied, sounding a little apprehensive.

"Very well, my son. The souls of great heroes are in Elysium." He said with a wave of his hand, and a set of doors to the left opened, revealing a long, open-ceiling passageway. "Alecto will lead you there." The hideous creature with bat-like wings entered the hall, smiling sinisterly with long, yellow fangs.

"I can find my way there, Father." Nico said tentatively, eyeing the suspicious creature, which had glowing eyes.

"Very well." Hades said, his voice resonating across the stone hall. "But first I must speak to my daughter, Clio." He said, and he turned to me, his dark, black eyes boring into me.

"…uh…yes, Father." I mumbled, looking at Nico and Seth for support. Seth merely shrugged.

He rose majestically and began to walk down a corridor which lay behind the two thrones. I followed in his wake timidly. When we were far enough down the corridor, his walking slowed. "I know why you have come here."

I remained silent. "I have seen the many souls claimed by the Chimera in these past weeks," He kept his gaze straight ahead of him, not even looking as me as he added, "And, months ago, I saw the soul of your half-brother, Orpheus. Killed by the same beast."

I inhaled sharply, quivering. "Clio, I must ask you to abandon this quest." I turned to see his face, now directed at me, but his eyes were not pleading. They were demanding.

"Your mother's soul is also with me in the Underworld." The words pierced my heart like a broken piece of glass. "She took her own life shortly after you ran away." I struggled hard to stifle the sound of my sobs. I would not cry in front of my father.

"I—I can't abandon this quest." I muttered between shaky breaths.

"You will face that beast with foolish ideas of vengeance, and you will lose. Do you really wish to wander the fields of Asphodel with your mother?" I hadn't thought to look for her there. And now an unease settled around me like a cloak.

"No. I don't want to join her here. But I will not abandon my brothers. They're all the family I have left." I dared to look him straight in the eye, but I could not read his expression.

"Very well, then. But you _will_ die." We reached the end of the corridor, and Hades motioned to a skeletal guard in the next hall. I stood with my jaw clenched stubbornly, waiting for him to finish. The guard came back almost immediately with a long leather sheath, embossed with gold at every corner. He handed it to Hades, and retreated. Now facing me, he spoke.

"Clio, the only chance you stand against this beast is with this sword," he pulled from the sheath a long, bronze sword with ancient-looking engravings on either side of the blade. The hilt itself was a priceless treasure.

Handing it to me gently, he continued, "It was used to slay the Chimera once before, and may serve you well if you try to slay the beast again." I ogled the sword, which was very heavy in my hand.

"Thank you." I said quickly, not wanting to be disrespectful.

"If you will not relent, you may now join your brothers. The hero you search for is Bellerophon."

I nodded my gratitude and trotted down the hall, a little off balanced by the weight of the sword. Nico and Seth stared at me with questioning looks, before spotting the sword. Both the boys eyes went wide as they surveyed the ancient, ornate weapon. The three of us said goodbye and wandered out of the the hall through the open doors on the left side.

We weren't allowed to enter Elysium, being alive and whatnot, so the guard at the entrance summoned for Bellerophon to come meet us. When he approached the gates, I could make out curly brown hair and muscular arms, but it was only when he got closer I saw the wildness in his eyes. He seemed alight with life...impressive for a dead person.

"How can I help you?" He said pleasantly.

"We need to know how to kill the Chimera." He beamed.

"I killed the Chimera! Only man to have ever done it. Quite impressive, right?" We nodded encouragingly.

"Can you tell us how you did it?" Nico prodded.

"Just like you'd kill any other beast. Only the Chimera is more fierce than any other beast. It takes an extremely skilled fighter to vanquish him." He said proudly. The he eyed us suspiciously.

"You aren't planning on fighting the Chimera, are you? That's a suicide mission." Nico rolled his eyes. "There's a reason only _I_ have ever done it. I'm an extremely skilled fighter, and I had a great weapon at my disposal."

"You mean this?" I lifted the sword, but he merely snorted.

"That's a fine weapon, sure, but the real weapon was the Pegasus." He looked up at the sky as if the Pegasus were flying above us. "Without her I would've failed."

"We have plenty of pegasi at camp." Seth shrugged, looking at me and Nico.

"No, you don't understand. This was _the_ Pegasus. There's only one like her in the whole world." He had a dreamlike expression on his face.

"Well we don't have time to find the Pegasus. But thanks for the tip, Bellerophon. Now we know that we need to try aerial combat against the Chimera." Nico said, turning to leave. Seth and I gave him one last appraising look, thanked him, and turned to follow Nico.

If he hadn't been a ghost, his hand would have rested on my shoulder, stopping me from leaving. But all I felt as he reached towards me was a cold wave of air brush past my arm.

"Wait" he said softly, in a way that shocked me. He no longer had a boasting tone in his voice, or a glorious expression on his face. On him was a look of deep regret, and his eyes were warning.

"Careful not to fly too high, as I did. I regret..." He seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment, but then he recovered. "You are not meant to dwell in the high places. Do not make the same mistakes I did." Utterly confused, I thanked him once more an hurried to catch up with Nico and Seth.

On our way back, we approached the fields of Asphodel again. I paused. Nico and Seth began to march ahead, until Seth noticed me stop. "Clio?" He gave me a puzzling look.

"Can—can we go around the fields?" I asked timidly. Nico looked at me with concern (that's a first) and slowly nodded. Seth gently put his arm around my shoulder to comfort me and we meandered down another path in the cave for about a mile or so until we came across a dimly lit garden.

"You'd think they wouldn't have one of these in the Underworld" Seth said, playfully knocking a tree branch out of his way. We paused when we reached a clearing, because a dark, robed figure knelt beside a rose bush, cutting select, fully bloomed flowers and placing them in a basket. When she heard us stop, she slowly set down her basket and rose to face us.

"Hello children of Hades." She said coldly. She had long, dark black hair and a beautiful face that seemed pale and lifeless in the shadow of the trees. The same face which had looked sneeringly at them in the throne room now regarded them with some sort of amusement.

"Queen Persephone." Nico bowed his head slightly, an unmistakable tone of contempt in his voice.

"Why have you come to my garden?" She said, slowly advancing towards the three of us, something concealed in her left hand.

"We took the long way, around the fields of Asphodel." Seth said, in a strange, even tone, while staring at Persephone, transfixed.

She averted her attention to him. "Not up to anything sneaky are you?"

"No ma'am." He said, gulping.

"Well, in that case. Why don't you stay awhile?" Her voice sounded musical, almost like a lullaby. I found myself wanting to stay. Shaking her head in an attempt to think clearly, she noticed a hint of pink cloth concealed in Persephone's hand before she moved her arm to hide it. _I wonder what that is…_

"You're not in any hurry, are you? No…sit for a while…eat." She plucked a bright red fruit from a nearby branch as she continued to walk towards us. Nico and Seth gazed wordlessly at her and sheepishly nodded their agreement.

I wanted to shout, because something felt wrong about this. It seemed almost like she was putting us in a trance. But I couldn't find my tongue to form a word. She was now directly in front of Seth.

"Have a bite." She crooned, and, with a dazed smile on his face, he obeyed.

"NO!" I shouted. At the same moment, I felt the earth around me shake, and the boys on either side of me seemed to snap out of their trance, and Seth, coughing and spluttering, was struggling to spit out the rest of the fruit, but it was too late—he had already swallowed.

Nico shook his head furiously, "You _witch_!" he spat at Persephone. "You enchanted us!" he bellowed, drawing his sword.

Out of the shadows the great, towering figure of my father materialized, his eyes blazing with anger.

"_What have you done!_" He bellowed, his words sounded as though a dozen people were shouting them, and they resonated off of the stone walls with such power that a few stalactites fell from the ceiling and crashed to the ground. His words were directed at Seth, who crumpled.

"It wasn't his fault!" I yelled, though I was surprise anyone could hear me. "Persephone bewitched us!"

"Persephone does not have that power." He said, glancing impassively at his wife.

"She does when she holds the scarf of Aphrodite." Nico yelled, grabbing the pink fabric from her clasp. She gasped and tried to snatch it back, but Nico was too quick, "This should be in the Big House along with the other artifacts. How did you steal it?"

"I didn't steal it. I traded for it one of your campers while they were on a quest." She said stiffly. Her arms were crossed, her eyes closed, and her nose was in the air.

"Well that camper _stole_ it." Persephone only raised her eyebrow mockingly.

"What does it matter to me?"

"_You used it to charm-speak us!_" Nico roared.

"Don't speak to my wife that way, Nico." He glared at his father.

"Your _wife_ just trapped your _son_ forever in the Underworld." The words each hit me like boulders. _Seth. Trapped. Forever._

"Can't you do something?" I pleaded, not tearing my eyes away from Seth, whose expression was unfathomable.

"He ate the pomegranate, and now he must remain here. I don't make the rules, Clio." I stared at him in disbelief.

"_Yes. You do._" I spat. I couldn't believe this. Surely there was something he could do, but he only stared back grimly.

"Well I cannot change them." I heard Seth choke, grief consuming his now desperate face. I knelt down and threw my arms around him, sobbing helplessly into his shoulder.

"Why would you do this?" I glared at Persephone, wishing my heated gaze could burn her where she stood.

"The same was done to me. Why should I be forced to stay here while you loathsome, illegitimate products of my husband's many affairs run around the earth freely." I could feel her sorrow and bitterness seep into my mind, but there was no room for pity. Not for this woman. Hades averted his gaze.

"And then you have the nerve to come here and ask for my help on your little quests. Is my pain a joke to you?" Tears flooded her pale face, "You deserve to be just as imprisoned as I am!" And with that, she took her basket of roses and vanished into the blackness.

Hades closed his eyes rather than watch me and Seth cry for the next ten minutes. When we had finally controlled our sobs, I help him up, and we both stood before our father, breathing shakily. I saw tears glide down Nico's pale face as well, but he wiped them away hastily.

Hades then walked over to the rosebushes and selected two. He handed each to Nico and I, and wordlessly retreated into the blackness himself. I gave Nico a questioning look.

"Travel roses." He said flatly, and turned to face Seth.

"You're the only brother I have." His voice cracked slightly. He seemed to struggle for something to say, but Seth cut him off.

"I know, man. I know." They shook hands.

Seth turned to me with a sigh.

"Stay beautiful, sis." He said with the ghost of a smile.

Eyes too dry to cry, I flung my arms around him and hugged him tightly for the very last time.

That night, we left our brother in the Underworld.


	16. Chapter 16: Reunion

**Chapter 16: Reunion**

"I had an awful dream last night." Annabeth said, yawning. I plucked at the string of my bow absent-mindedly.

"I dreamt about the night we fought those spiders off, and rescued Cassy." I felt myself shiver at the recollection. I had been so close to dying. Had they not come to rescue me when they did, I would never have lived to see Camp Half Blood, or to know who my father was, or to meet Percy.

"And you know what I woke up thinking?" She said, a triumphant smile curling her lips. Percy, who had been splashing his face with water in the lake, straightened up and walked over to join us around the extinguished campfire.

"Those spiders we fought…we didn't actually defeat them all. We only held them off long enough to escape. But we know the army was heading _west_." She said, her voice thick with excitement.

"Where are you going with this?" Percy asked, crouching down next to Annabeth, brows furrowed.

"Well…they weren't the first group of spiders we'd come across heading west. And Marcus seemed to think that there was a pattern to all the sightings." Marcus was one of Annabeth's half-brothers at Camp Half-Blood. I fitted an arrow into my bow, only half listening.

"Well…I've just been thinking. Maybe he was right, and they're all heading towards a rallying point!" She looked between the two of us excitedly. When neither of us spoke, she gave a quick sigh and pressed on.

"Maybe they're on their way to join Echidna!" With a soft _twang! _I sent the arrow soaring into the trees, where it stuck into the trunk of a young oak tree. Then I turned around to look at her, my mind whirring.

"That would mean…" Percy said, slowly fitting the pieces together, "That to find Echidna…"

"We have to follow the spiders!" I finished! For a brief moment I was thrilled, but that quickly changed, as soon as I realized what I was saying.

"…we have to follow the spiders?" I repeated, horrified at the thought. "The giant, acid-spitting spiders?"

"I know." Annabeth said, the victorious smile sliding from her face. "I hate those nasty creatures."

"That's it!" Percy said, clapping his hands together. Both Annabeth and I raised our eyebrows in unison.

"Annabeth. A spider, or more specifically, Arachne, is your parent's foe!" Annabeth let the words wash over her for a short moment and then she too smiled.

"You're a genius." She beamed, clapping her hands together. "So we find the spiders, and follow them to Echidna's lair. Then we've '_faced the wrath of an ancient beast_', '_encountered a parent's foe'_, and gone to '_the lair of the mother of ruin'_." She seemed to be checking items off of a mental checklist.

"That leaves the 'gift of a goddess' and…" He trailed off, deep in thought.

_And the 'blackest night', _I thought. The oracle had said 'Death prepare you for the blackest night'._ But what could that mean?_

We sat in silence for a moment, each of us silently trying to decipher the cryptic prophecy. At last, having found no answer, we all packed up our things and left the reserve. We took the train to the nearest city, and got some lunch at a small French café. When we had finished, we ordered some more drinks and stood outside the door, leaning against the posts.

"So how exactly do we find a great bunch of spiders? They seem to only turn up when we don't want them to." Annabeth mused, before taking a sip of her ginger ale.

"I was wondering the same thing." I said, looking at her curiously.

"Maybe we can help with that." A solemn voice came from behind us. The three of us hastily whirled around on the spot, Percy drawing Riptide out from his pocket. But before us stood two familiar faces, equally pale and solemn, surrounded by matching locks of dark black hair.

"Nico! Clio!" I cried. I rushed up to hug them both, but catching the expressions on each of their faces, I merely took their hands in my own. "It's good to see you two. What are you doing here?"

Blushing furiously, Nico slipped his hands out of mine and muttered, "We were…uh…on a quest."

Clio eyed the two of us with as little emotion on her face as was humanly possible. Averting her gaze, seemingly out of boredom, she faced Percy.

"We were sent to find the Chimera." She said dully. "And I believe that is why our ways have crossed."

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked, guiding the five of us to a nearby table outside the café.

Percy pulled out my seat, allowing for me to sit down. Nico cleared his throat and looked furtively between me and Percy before continuing, "Clio believes that our quests are linked."

Annabeth shook her head slightly, "You mean the Chimera attacks and the missing fleece?"

"I've been thinking about it a lot, actually," she said in a small voice. "I mean your prophecy is seemingly leading you towards beasts and a mother of ruin-" she began.

"Echidna." Annabeth inserted, "Cassy thinks it means Echinda."

"That's what we think too." Nico said, making an obvious effort to not look towards Annabeth's left, where Percy had accidentally spilled his soda onto the knee of my jeans, and was now attempting to dab it up.

"Anyways." Clio said, raising her voice over the distraction, "It seems sort of random that your quest to find _who_ stole the fleece is taking you to a place full of monsters."

I caught Nico's gaze momentarily and looked away hastily. "So I was thinking about it and…maybe it isn't a question of_ who_ stole it, but _what_ stole it." She said, glancing around the table. Percy, Nico, and I were so distracted that we didn't immediately register what she was saying. Only Annabeth covered her mouth with her hands in excitement.

"The Chimera stole the fleece!" she shouted.

"Yes, exactly!" Clio beamed, while Nico leaned back and took a deep breath. Percy looked at Annabeth in astonishment.

"That's why we have to go to Echidna. The Chimera stole it on Echidna's orders." He said, looking around the table for support.

"And will be back to her soon with the precious fleece in its teeth." Nico said darkly.

"So you don't need to follow any spiders." Clio said in an equally sinister tone. "They'll be there with Echidna."

"Then how do we get there?" Clio and Nico looked at each other as Annabeth asked. Out of their bags they pulled a handful of roses.

"Travel roses!" Percy exclaimed. "You're a genius!"

"We cut them out of Persephone's own garden in the underworld. We have the whole bag full of them." He handed a rose to each of us, blushing again when he handed mine to me. For a moment, my hand brushed his as I took the rose from him. I felt a chill creep through my body, but it wasn't an unpleasant kind of chill. I shook my head to regain my senses, and began to listen again to the conversation.

"…they'll take you wherever you want to go. It's how we got out of the underworld, and how we found you all. We can use them to get to the lair." She finished.

"Can't you shadow travel, though?" I asked, remembering that night when Nico and Seth had suddenly appeared out of the shadows.

"It weakens us, especially if we're traveling long distances," Nico explained, "And since we wouldn't actually know where to travel to, it wouldn't be in our best interest."

Annabeth nodded absently, "Nico, what was the prophecy you received before your quest? It may be able to shed some light on our own." Nico recited it softly, his voice cracking subtly on the last line, '_one of your number shall never return'_.

"You did say…'_three_ the kingdom below shall behold'?" I asked, scarcely able to breathe. Both faces darkened, but neither child of Hades gave a reply.

"Nico, where is Seth?" I asked, my voice getting higher in pitch with apprehension, "Clio," I turned to her, seeing her eyes well up with tears before she blinked them away. "_Where is Seth_?" I shouted. Nico and Clio flinched as I did so, but neither could bring themselves to answer. I looked away quickly, horrified, and let hot tears spill down my face.

The whole, horrific story was recounted on the long walk back to the reserve, where we had decided to make camp for the night. Nico had mentioned aerial combat might come in handy when we fought the Chimera finally, and we would have to use the travel roses to return to camp and get the pegasi, and perhaps fly into Echidna's lair. But then the question of where the lair was kept fresh in our minds.

For hours we talked and strategized, and planned our quest until there was nothing left to explore. It was obvious that all the planning was a feeble attempt to take our minds off the loss of Seth, and after Annabeth had recited our detailed plan for the eleventh time, I excused myself. The tents were only a short distance away, but far enough that the voices coming from the campfire were indiscernible.

Ducking into the first tent, I sat down and took off my shirt and jeans, replacing them with a tank and running shorts. I couldn't find my pair of flip-flops, so I tiptoed over to Clio's empty tent. _Why do I always steal this exact pair of flip-flops?_ I asked myself, chuckling. _At least I returned them before the quest. _Then my chuckling died, as I remembered the meeting Seth and I had had when I dropped off the pair of flip-flops. He had said one thing "Be safe." Why hadn't I said the same to him? Would it have made a difference?

My vision grew blurry from tears, and I hastily crept into tent and began to rummage through her bag. I didn't contain the items she usually carried in it, though. A blunt-looking pocket knife, a dark green canteen (Clio's was dark purple), some old, faded T-shirts that looked far too big for her tiny frame, and cargo pants. _This must not be Clio's tent_, I thought. _Maybe I've gone into Nico's…into Nico's…_

But just then, I pulled out a long, shimmering, pink scarf. It was the smoothest, silkiest scarf, which felt like flowing water, as I held it in my hands. I couldn't resist; I pressed it to my face, smelling a sweet scent of roses and laurels, and my whole mind went dizzy. Faintly I heard footsteps coming in my direction, but I didn't care. I kept my face buried in the silky fabric, inhaling the heavenly scent. Then I heard someone call my name.

"Cassy?" It asked. The voice was deep, and heavy. I couldn't stop myself from quivering at the sound. I let the scarf slowly float to the ground as I stepped, dreamlike, towards the opening of the tent.

"Cassy? Are you alright?" His voice was warm, and smooth, and moist. As he spoke, it sent a hot wave down my whole body.

"I love you." I said, my voice thick with desire. He immediately took a step back, as if he thought I might attack him. I reached a hand to touch his long, dark hair. _Nico. Sweet Nico._

"What?" He muttered, trembling at my touch.

"I love you, Nico. Don't you love me?" My hand was now tracing the back of his spine with my finger.

"Y-yes. Yes I d-do." He said, staring at me in disbelief, and continuing to shiver as I laced my fingers through his thick, dark hair. I lifted his chin slightly and pressed my lips to his. For a moment he just stood there, entirely still, eyes wide open. Then he slowly closed his eyelids and began to return the kiss passionately. All of my body began to shiver, and it took all of my strength to break away.

His eyes were still closed, as if he didn't want to wake up and discover it was all a dream. I slid my arms over his shoulders, pressing myself lightly against his statue-like body, the sides of our faces touching, and whispered in his ear, "Come with me."

Our eyes were locked, and, smiling triumphantly, I dragged him slowly into the tent.


End file.
